Avoiding a Prophecy
by Mellie DeHiraeth
Summary: Harry Potter, wanted for the murder of Tom Marvolo Riddle, is stolen away by Fate herself after she realizes the torture she put the soul through and offers him an escape once it is found that her prophecy was misinterpreted along the way. Fate promptly dumps him into one of her safespots in Kanto... Updates sporadically. Working on a story plan.
1. Ch 1 - Fate

Harry Potter was running for his life, wondering what on _earth_ had happened. It still hadn't gotten into his head yet, his shock and fear overruling his rage and disgust.

Harry was smart. He _knew_ he'd been raised as a superweapon, just a tool for taking Voldemort's life, a chess piece in Dumbledore's plan for the 'greater good'. What he hadn't realized was that nobody else had even so much as _noticed._ Now he was on the run from Aurors and the Ministry, all that he had left being his wand and the clothes on his back, the rest being taken by Ron and Hermione.

They were the wounds that stung the most. They had _knowingly_ abandoned him, and had relished in his shock and pain, ripping his fragile heart to pieces. He didn't have anyone left to save him, not any more. No hero should have needed saving.

He ignored the knot in his chest and stumbled through the forbidden forest, getting further and further away from his once-upon-a-time home, wondering where he would go. No sane person would return to that place, not after every memory of it had been poisoned with the rage and upset from finding himself rejected by the very place he'd once found his sole sanctuary.

He felt his heart-rate leap and tripped over a root, collapsing to the ground, and in a bout of despair gave up, lying still. He could hear shouts in the distance, shouts of murderer and killer and kiss on sight...

Then there was a powerful flash, and Harry Potter, saviour of the wizarding world and now-hunted killer of the Dark Lord, disappeared from magical Britain forever.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He couldn't quite see anything clearly, but he got the overwhelming sense that there was something so utterly infinite in its power that he thought it must be death himself. He recalled the legend of the three brothers and smiled tentatively. At this point, death would be a relief.

He got the impression it was speaking to him, and let in the thoughts that intruded upon his mind readily.

 _Chosen one,_ it said softly, _they have broken you._

 _Yes,_ Harry thought bitterly, _fat lot of good use they were. Treat me like trash right up until my final moments. But I'll let go of my animosity. There's no point dwelling on it, I suppose._

 _But there is,_ the voice replied. _I am what your species knew as Fate, Chosen one. I gifted the lives that dwell in Earth a prophecy for you, assuming they would act to protect you... little did I know how wrong I was._

Harry was surprised. _You gave the prophecy? How did you not see this?_

Fate sighed. _I can see the factual results, not the feelings of those that experience them. I made a great error, and I hope you'll forgive me. I need to explain the prophecy in more detail._

 _Alright,_ Harry said quietly. _It'll take time for it to be honest, but I forgive you._ He waited for Fate to continue.

 _As per the prophecy,_ it said calmly, _'one must die at the hand of the_ _other'. For you, Harry, it means that as long as the prophecy holds true, you will not be able to die now that Voldemort is forever sealed away._

Harry's alarm rang through their connection for a long time, until finally he calmed down. _So I'm immortal?_ he asked fearfully.

 _You would have been,_ Fate confirmed, _but I intervened. Your body will remain alive forever, but we can take your mind and soul without trouble. I wished to offer you a trade._

Harry raised a figurative eyebrow. _Alright, I'll hear you out._

Fate smiled upon him. _I wish to take your body and use it as a messenger in the wizarding world, making some alterations, of course. You will be rewarded both with the eventual result of death, and furthermore, I will give you an opportunity to heal elsewhere, in a world where the prophecy does not hold any power._

 _Yes,_ Harry agreed after only a moment. _As long as I'll be happy there._

Fate was bright and cheerful. _Thank you, Harry. What will your new name be?_

He had to think for a bit, but he was soon decided.

 _Evan._

* * *

A/N: It begins.

Welcome to 'Avoiding a Prophecy'!

some quick outlines and warnings;

One, this story will not be updating frequently. I'll try to go for once every two weeks, but failing that, we'll end up with once a month, with long chapters to compensate.

Two, this story will rely heavily on your input. Any reviews are heavily appreciated, suggestions are more than welcome, and if you have any questions I'll be more than happy to answer them.

Three, the first three chapters are mostly introduction and setup. For that reason the chapters are very fast-paced and all chapters afterwards will be much longer and more detailed.

Finally, make note that I do not have a beta and therefore the writing will not be perfect. I _do_ keep documents, so if you catch an error, I'd very much appreciate if you told me. Thank you.


	2. Ch 2 - Harry becomes Evan (an interlude)

Harry woke up in a forest, and immediately his mind was cleared and working overtime, jolting him awake.

He shook himself to jump-start his body and got to his feet, looking around the forest in curiosity.

 _Well,_ he thought, glancing around and testing his magic briefly, _time to find some food and shelter._

* * *

Harry hadn't found his wand, but was surprised to find that his magic still worked perfectly, as powerful, if not more so, than it had been with the wand. He smiled as he used _accio_ to pull an apple from a tree and to his hand, and after scanning it for anything malicious had eaten it eagerly.

There seemed to be few, if any, animals in this forest, which confused Harry greatly. He'd thought that the new world, silly as the notion seemed now, would be much like muggle earth, but perhaps he was wrong. He shrugged it off and went to find some wood for a house.

* * *

It was a month later, in his new home, that Harry - now Evan, as he'd been training himself to think - had begun to think about what to do next. His house was small but homely, with two floors, one his bedroom and the other a makeshift study and sitting room where he practiced wordless, wandless magic and considered his options. He had used his magic to whittle some moving figurines, and at the moment he'd set them dancing around the room for amusement while he thought about things.

He'd taken to a lake to see his reflection, and had been pleasantly surprised at his appearance. He was tall but well-built, and his face was the same familiar one he'd come to expect. His body hadn't changed much, but he found himself looking like the person Harry _wanted_ to be - someone who looked kind and dependable, someone who hadn't been wronged by everyone he met.

He conjured a temporary mirror and looked at himself, smiling fondly at the forest-green eyes he knew were those of his namesake, his mother Lily Evans. He quickly brushed his untameable hair with a quick spell and snapped, letting the mirror dissolve away, and got up, ready to face the new day.

He walked out and sighed at the emptiness of the outdoors. For some reason this place seemed near abandoned, and he assumed it was some sort of sanctuary for those touched by Fate. On a whim, he raced out and began gathering rocks for a new project.

He would make a fireplace.

* * *

He tied off the magic with a pleased hum and watched as the fireplace absorbed the magic. He had begun his own floo network, although the magic was a bit more intricate. It had taken him three days, but it had been worth it. Now he would be able to return home whenever he pleased.

Tomorrow his journey would begin.

* * *

A/N: I leave with a promise of a much longer chapter next time.


	3. Ch 3 - Lily

Evan, as he was now calling himself, checked his bags one last time and hummed happily to himself as he locked up, throwing out a few potent spells, including a fidelius charm keyed to him as secret-keeper. He mumbled a few checks, nodded in satisfaction, and began running.

Evan had incredible stamina, not simply from building a house and living in the wild, but from using his magic to make life easier and supply the luxuries the wild had found it hard to supply. Trasfiguring around five sets of clothes had been easy; it was one of the more basic spells, turning wood and leaf into linen and wool. Today he was wearing a dark green sweater; the November air was cold enough he figured it was logical. It was for that reason that Evan had been able to run for at least three hours nonstop before he had to rest for a moment to get rid of the screaming feeling in his legs.

Hearing the sound of the waves, however, meant that Evan was yet again eager to run to the shore, and found himself charming away his exhaustion and getting to his feet again. With a wide grin plastered on his face he dashed down to the sea, relishing in the first few moments in which he felt the sand between his toes, and wondering why he'd never done this before.

 _Well, duh,_ his mind supplied, _they stunted you, stopped you from experiencing anything._ For some reason, although a sobering thought, he couldn't find it in himself to be sad. Instead he ran to the edges of the water and felt the ocean lap up against his feet. He wiggled his toes, watching the sky as it reached the strange afternoon sunlight which seemed like daylight but wasn't quite, the trickling of oranges tinting the far reaches of the horizon.

He heard a few voices behind him and turned to see where they came from.

On the shore were a trio of girls who reminded Harry strongly of the empty-headed sort, the ones who conformed entirely to the stereotype and honestly weren't worth Evan's time. He saw one point at him and giggle, causing the rest of them to giggle as well, light blushes tainting their powdered cheeks.

Evan decided he'd had enough of studying them and turned back to the sunset, feeling the faint smile that reached his face and embracing it. He would have to find somewhere to stay the night, but until then he could enjoy the feeling of being free to do as he pleased, free to watch the sunset without being worried for his life.

* * *

It was an hour later that Harry pulled himself together and began climbing up to the road where he'd seen the girls before. He walked down the road aimlessly for a while, watching the trees carefully for anything of interest, since he _still_ hadn't seen any animals of any sort. He'd figured he might see a bird, a mouse, heck, a rabbit of all things, but nothing had so much as made a sound.

It was with great surprise and pleasure, then, that he saw a woman in a motorbike riding towards him, a dog-like creature in tow. Actually, it looked like a small tiger, but he didn't think that its body was shaped up for that, and anyway, it may as well have been dyed.

However, it didn't look like anything more or less than totally natural, but he reasoned that his skills at identifying hair dye were next to none.

As the motorbike approached, he stopped to watch it, not being in any hurry, and so was rather surprised as he heard the engine slow down the closer the woman got. At this point it was obvious to him that she was some sort of official, with bright blue hair and a gleaming badge on her chest. She stopped next to him and studied him for a moment, her hazel eyes searching him with confusion.

"Young man, what's your name?" She asked. "I don't see any Pokémon on you."

Evan felt faintly confused, but didn't show it. "I'm Evan, miss...?"

"Officer Jenny," she replied. "And your Pokémon, Evan?"

He shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry if this is a silly question, but... what are Pokémon? Am I expected to have one?"

She looked faintly like she wanted to strangle him, as if it were the clearest thing in the world. "Pokémon! Of course you're supposed to have one, how else would you adequately protect yourself?" She pointed to the dog. "Just like my Growlithe here. Everyone needs a Pokémon for protection, especially against the wild Pokémon around these parts! They can get violent!"

Harry supposed that was logical. "I think I understand. I'll make sure to get one as soon as I can, but until then, I believe I can protect myself." He smiled. "I've been able to do so up until now, after all."

She shook her head. "I can't believe people like you, think they're safe. No, you'll have to come with me. We'll see about getting you a starter Pokémon... and actually, explaining Pokémon entirely, since you seem blissfully unaware of what they are." She shifted a bit and held out a small, red-and-white sphere, which enlarged when she touched the button.

"Growlithe, return," she said clearly, and the dog barked before dissolving into red light and being zapped up into the ball, which the woman attached to her belt. Evan recomposed himself quickly after the shock, getting into the side-seat and patiently waiting for an opening to speak as Officer Jenny turned the motorbike around and began driving back the way she came.

"So... what was that sphere you used to... contain your Growlithe?" Evan asked tentatively. "I'm afraid I've never seen one before. I've seen stranger things, but that definitely goes into the top five."

She barely fought staring at him in an unmatched shock until she remembered his cluelessness about Pokémon. "Pokéballs, used to carry Pokémon around," she explained. "Some Pokémon are rather big, you know, bigger than a small house."

Evan let out a low whistle. "Sounds dangerous. I think I get why you want people to have one to protect themselves now. Imagine, being attacked my a creature the size of a small house while strolling through the woods..."

"Well, you actually find Pokémon that big in the mountains or the ocean, but yes, that's the idea." She agreed. "On that note, tell me what you were doing out there alone without any protection. I'll need a story for the department when I go to get you a Pokémon."

Evan felt an electric thrill at the thought of having a Pokémon of his own, but answered calmly. "I live... well, somewhere away from prying eyes," he explained, frowning. "it's a small house at the edge of a clearing, I built it myself. I found myself there after..." he gripped his forehead.

"After?" Officer Jenny probed, her eyebrows creasing in worry.

"After the fight." He licked his dry lips and tried again. "Memory's foggy. I remember... lots of betrayal and hurt. Sorry, I haven't really thought about this for a while." He hung his head at the lies, mostly, trying to push aside the painful memories.

"Amnesia?" She clucked, her concern melting away into reserved pity. "It's not as rare as you think. I'm sorry if I brought up anything you didn't want to think about." She slowed the engine as they got into town.

"No, it's alright," he waved it off. "I should be thinking about it. I remember some things, but it's all... painful."

She frowned. "That sounds like forced amnesia. If you want, I'll check with the psychics in town to see if it could be psychic-induced..."

"No, it's okay," Evan protested, quick to nip the notion in the bud. "I don't mean physically. I mean that they are bad memories. Honestly, I don't think I want to remember."

She nodded. "Alright, but you tell me if you ever change your mind, okay?" Evan nodded as they slowed to a stop in front of the police station, dismounting the motorbike and following Jenny inside.

He noticed that a few of the women in there looked like Jenny, shockingly like her, and decided they must be family. He followed her down a few more hallways and up some stairs, finally reaching an office whose door Jenny rapped her knuckles against. A gruff 'Come in!' and they walked inside, into a scatterbrained workplace where the man behind the desk put down his papers and walked up to them.

"Who's this?" He asked, and Jenny launched into an explanation of the circumstances, giving Evan a minute to gather his thoughts together.

"Right," he nodded, "Well then, Evan, we'll get you set up with a room at the Pokémon center and tomorrow morning Jenny here'll take you to Professor Oak to get a starter. That alright with you?"

Evan nodded numbly, smiling in appreciation, and as quickly as they'd arrived he was led away again, and driven a few blocks to a building with a red roof.

By midnight he was sleeping soundly on the second floor of the Pokémon center.

* * *

The next morning he woke up astoundingly early and sorted through his clothes for some of the nicer ones. He figured this Professor must be relatively important, and so he decided it was worth his time to dress nicely. Once dressed and prepared to face the world, he walked downstairs, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, and sat down to wait for Jenny to pick him up and take him to the mentioned professor Oak.

The Pokémon Center, as it was called, was seemingly some sort of cross between a high-tech hospital for Pokémon and a free hotel for travellers with a license of sorts, which they scanned to get a room and free food from the cafeteria. Evan thought it was incredibly efficient; he was sure that there was a very effective economic system in place for it to function so well, and to even have a history spanning back at least a century.

It was thirty minutes past six that there was the shock.

A man in a suit had rushed in suddenly, a bat-like creature at his side, and had cried, "Team Rocket is taking over this Pokémon Center! Hands in the air and don't move!" Before a few more men had rushed in with larger and more intimidating Pokémon, as well as some of the older ones having guns on their belts, though the Pokémon alone seemed enough to get people shivering as they raised their arms to the roof.

He heard the rumble of growling from some of the Pokémon at the sides of humans, but they too refused to act without permission. Evan was by this point thoroughly tired of the situation, and refused to back down.

He got up calmly, not bothering to make any sudden moves, and walked right up to the head of the group. The man pointed at Evan, and suddenly the creatures leaped forward; Evan did what he did best and threw up a _protego_ that sent them flying back in shock more than pain.

"Don't mess with me," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Leave now or face the consequences when the police get here." Some of the trainers gained confidence at this, and a few vines whipped out from nearby, binding the men up quickly. Another trainer pulled through and had their Pokémon rapid-fire a strange attack which caused the Pokémon around the men to return.

Evan wiped his brow - the protego had been a bit tiring, to be honest, it had been a long time since he'd needed such strong magic - and smiled at the two trainers who'd helped. "Thanks," he said, taking a deep breath, "I wasn't actually sure how I was going to take care of that." Even as he spoke the piercing sound of police sirens whirred in the background.

"No problem, you distracted them," the male of the two said with a smirk. "That's cool, though, wish I was psychic. That counter was one of the stronger ones I've seen, and that's including the psychic-types I've fought!" He held out a hand to shake, which Evan took with amusement. "The name's Terrance, but Terry's better, and this is my Carnivine." The Venus Fly-Trap esque being cackled as it flashed red and returned to the ball on Terry's belt willingly.

"I'm Pam," The other trainer said, her eyes flitting nervously to her feet and back. "You were really heroic... thanks." Her Pokémon chuckled lightheartedly and returned itself as well.

"I'm Evan," Evan introduced himself simply. "It's no problem, really, I've dealt with worse."

Both shook their heads. Terry continued, "No, that was really advanced, you must have years of practice to be that good. I'm impressed."

Pam nodded. "I don't know if even Sabrina is that good."

Evan raised an eyebrow. "Sabrina? I'll have to find out more about her later, then. Anyways, if you'll excuse me..." He backed away, nodded politely at both of them, and left to greet the police who had already taken the rocket grunts away.

Officer Jenny - the one from before, he noticed, her hair was spiked a bit around the bangs where the others didn't have such things - dashed to his side.

"You weren't kidding when you said you could protect yourself," she said, obviously as impressed as the people in the Pokémon Center had been. "Well, let's go get you your Pokémon. My motorcycle's just over there."

* * *

Evan contemplated his past while they drove. He needed a cover story, really, to match what he'd told Officer Jenny. At the moment, he supposed he'd start with being a psychic, though he needed to check what psychics could do before he used it reliably. Furthermore, he'd have to explain away his defensive quirks with memory loss and betrayal that was 'too disturbing to go into'. His thoughts were interrupted by the slowing of the engine's rumble as they reached a peaceful middle-class house that reminded him fondly of some muggle neighborhoods where he'd hidden in his last moments as Harry Potter.

He got out and followed Officer Jenny up the steps to the door, which she knocked on, and waited. When the door finally opened, Evan found himself staring into the twinkling eyes of one Professor Oak.

"Ah, Officer Jenny! And who's this young man?" Oak inquired, giving him a winning smile. Immediately Evan found himself warming up to Oak; he was obviously a jolly and kind-hearted man, and even as he spoke he invited them in. He reminded Evan of a fairy-tale grandfather, really, although worlds away from Dumbledore; for one, Oak seemed chipper and ready for action as some of the youth Evan knew, and furthermore, he wore himself in much a different manner. He didn't try to be the wise grandfather figure, like Dumbledore did, but instead simply was.

"Evan," He said shortly as he stepped inside, following Oak further into the homely laboratory and leaving Officer Jenny to return to her duties. He peered curiously at a few alien machines, but decided to ignore them until further notice, instead following Oak into a room which was filled, absolutely filled, with Pokéballs.

"Normally we hand out specific species to each trainer," Oak explained, "depending on what's available and good-tempered enough for beginners. However, since most trainers start in the summer, I'm afraid you'll have to choose from the Pokémon in storage here." He stopped and turned. "We'll do some aptitude tests, but I believe you'll be able to take your pick from what we have available." Reaching out, Professor Oak smiled at a pokéball which he took and opened, pressing the button, and the creature formed in a burst of white light.

The Pokémon, Harry found, was small and furry. Its red fur was silky-smooth, two large brown eyes blinking up at him before it returned to licking its paws, its six tails twitching gently.

"Vulpix," Oak supplied, a satisfied smile on his face. "She's a prim-and-proper sort. Fire type, very high-maintenance but with a high reward, too." Evan nodded, absorbing the information before slowly lowering to his knees.

Vulpix perked in interest and watched him for a few moments, before finally deeming him worthy of her attention and standing in front of him, letting out an indignant mewl, demanding attention. Evan chuckled and reached out tentatively, letting Vulpix take the first step and nudge him with her forehead, before he began stroking her gently, trailing his hand carefully down her slick fur.

"She's lovely," Evan said softly, finally removing his hand from the Vulpix's fur.

"That she is," Oak agreed, returning her. "Now, since you were able to get that close to her, I have no doubts you'll take good care of any Pokémon I entrust to you. I suggest you ask my assistant, Tracey, for some care guides to read - tomorrow I'll have a selection ready." Evan nodded and was pointed to a back room, which he creeped into slowly, watching the walls as if they'd cave in on him. This was by far the most reminiscent of Hogwarts since Evan had arrived. In the back was a boy with bright, untamed hair and a lean build, his hands occupied by a few books which he glanced through multiple times.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, "Are you Tracey? Do you mind letting me borrow some Pokémon care books?"

Automatically the boy went to grab for them before stopping short and turning to Evan. "Oh, sorry," he apologized quickly, "I was a bit... lost in the work. Here you go." He handed Evan a red book bound in gold and glanced briefly at his work before giving his full attention to Evan.

"So, looking to get your first Pokémon? I'm surprised," Tracey said, humming at the first few pages of the red book. "I would've figured that you'd have gotten one a long time ago."

"I... am not sure why I didn't," Evan settled upon, frowning. Shrugging, he continued, "At least I'm getting one now."

Tracey accepted that and left him to his reading for the remainder of the day, answering a few of the finicky questions and finally deciding to let him stay the night in one of the guest rooms upstairs. Evan stayed awake, however, reaching the book late into the night, committing every word to memory as if it were a matter of life and death.

* * *

Evan passed the normal shelves to look down at the five Pokéballs in front of him. They were mostly regular, though some had different colours or designs. He decided in a bout of impulsiveness to use his weak legilimency to find out what was in them.

Holding his hand over the ball, he closed his eyes, and an image of a sheep-esque Pokémon materialized in his mind, its blue head adorned with two small, black horns with yellow rings and its fleece a pleasing yellow tinge.

He moved on to the next one. This one was red with a fiery design on its belly in yellow, its head bobbing slowly. Its yellow beak was set into a pout.

The next was cold to the touch, and inside was a small, iceberg-like creature, with gleaming yellow eyes.

The one to the left of that was a greyish-blue ball, and inside was a creature which reminded Evan strongly of a shark on legs. It exuded a pulse of potential which had Evan shivering in anticipation.

With a hum, he touched the final Pokeball, and suddenly a shudder of anticipation roared through him. He closed his eyes again and focused, seeing a small pumpkin-like creature which made Evan think of his parents.

This was the one he wanted. He could tell; the strange aura felt like home to him already. It was safe to say that the chill that crawled up his spine was by now so familiar it made him feel at home.

Just then, he heard a jolly voice call, "Ah, Evan! Hoping to meet the Pokémon?"

Evan smiled and picked up the Pokeball which held his first Pokémon. "I've already chosen which one, Professor. I believe this one will be my new friend." With that, Evan released him, letting out the Pumpkaboo, much to Oak's bewilderment.

"I would advise you not make your decision so quickly, when you haven't seen the others," he admitted, "but alright, Evan. If you say so."

Evan nodded. "I _do_ say so. Thank you, professor." with that, he began to shower the Pumpkaboo with attention, sorting out a place for Pumpkaboo to hang out on his shoulder, much like Hedwig had.

* * *

A/N: Welcome!

This story's updates will be... few and far between, unfortunately, but I'll try and make up for that with long chapters. The first three chapters are setup, mostly, but from here is Evan's journey!

Sit back and enjoy the show, and if there's anything you want to see then please do tell in the reviews.


	4. Ch 4 - Banks and Water Flowers

A/N: Using more é from here on out, finally figured out how to do it on my laptop. Also, any and all reviews are read and appreciated - I take the time to answer questions, so feel free to ask.

* * *

Harry spent the remainder of the day chatting with Oak and getting things he needed, namely his Trainer card, Pokédex, and a starting set of Pokéballs. He was vaguely surprised they'd just let him leave after that, but decided against questioning it; they were letting him off scott-free, after all. He took up in one of the guest rooms of the laboratory and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

"Well then, Evan," Oak said as Evan headed for the door, "enjoy your journey! Treat your Pokémon well!"

"I will, Professor," Evan agreed, smiling. "Goodbye!" With that cheerful thought, Evan walked through the door and out into the open.

* * *

Evan stopped at a few of the shops in town before he did anything, checking the merchandise and looking out for anything he'd need. He had a bag on his waist with the remainder of his galleons, de-spelled and pointless other than as a source of pure gold, but he expected them to be worth at least _something_. It was for that reason he'd melted them down to get rid of the remaining signatures on them, both magical and imprinted. He wanted to see if a local bank could set him up with the gold.

He'd walked all the way to Cerulean City, the bright, water-loving city welcoming him with open arms. Heading into the bank he'd found, he walked up to a teller and asked for a private room. After a brief exchange he sat down and waited patiently for his time, idly running through spells in his head to pass the time.

Finally, he got his private room. Once he went inside, a man waved him to a chair. "Now, what is it that you need, Mr...?" He inquired pointedly.

"Evan." Evan said simply. "I don't remember my last name. I've got selective amnesia, you see..." he dove into his cover story, explaining himself as being an amnesiac with a spotty past, having been betrayed by a large group thought to be trustworthy. He continued to explain that he had gold but wasn't sure how he'd come to have it, and furthermore didn't know if it was even worth anything.

"I see," the banker nodded. "Well then, Evan, you've got a few choices here. You can leave the gold to us and make a stock account," he offered, gauging Evan's reaction, "or you can simply exchange it for some of our currency and get your legal identity in order. The final option is that you make a company and pour the money into there, which would be best if the gold is valuable; it's harder to break down the legal walls on companies than it is on individuals, not that individuals aren't protected," he hurried to add.

Evan nodded. "I'll think on that. For now, can we find out how much this gold is worth?" He inquired, digging into his bag. He'd made a temporary bag and spelled some extra space, so he had the entire fortune in there at the moment, but he only took out one nugget. "I'd just like to know the conversion rate."

The banker nodded. "Yes, we'll see what we can do. Please remain here; we'll be back with a statement in no time." He picked up the nugget and headed directly for the tellers, and Evan watched in amusement as they rushed around, finally calling someone in for appraisal.

When the banker returned, Evan noticed he had a gobsmacked look on his face. "Well, Evan," He said faintly, "if you've got even two of these, you're going to be a very rich man. That gold of yours is very rare... far better quality than the Meowth-made gold."

Evan gulped. "The statement on the value?"

The banker simply handed over a sheet of paper. "This," he said, taking a deep breath to calm himself, "is the statement."

Evan looked down.

"So... you're telling me..." he paused to raise his eyebrow pointedly, "that my gold nugget is worth...?"

The banker nodded.

"I think I made a decision on my account," Evan said quietly. "I get an odd feeling I'm going to need the extra legal protections."

* * *

It was late at night when Evan finally walked into the Pokémon Center, his bank card and files neatly stored in his bag, despite the increasingly complicated number of legal documents to hold.

The banker he'd spoken to, one Mr. Markson, had decided to take over sorting his accounts. Since at the moment there weren't any investments to make, it had been relatively simple to sort it out beyond tying it down as its own account instead of belonging to an individual. Evan had had a long talk with Markson, and they'd finally decided that they would stick ten million in the account and leave it be, with small payments going into it from there to keep it going. It was, all in all, very efficient, and Evan decided he rather liked the arrangement.

He stretched out on his bed and plucked his pokéball from his bag, looking at it for a few moments before throwing it gently. It hit the bed and bounced back directly into Evan's hand, and his Pumpkaboo appeared in a burst of white light.

"Ka?" Pumpkaboo inquired, shuffling next to Evan's leg. Evan idly ran his fingers over the Pokémon's small black head, listening to it as it let out a rattling, throaty sound, almost as if it were trying to purr.

"So, you're a Pumpkaboo," Evan commented, rubbing behind the creature's tiny ears. "say, do people give their Pokémon nicknames?"

Pumpkaboo nodded eagerly.

Evan paused for a moment, letting the implications of the reaction sink in. "You... can understand me?"

Pumpkaboo nodded again, nudging Evan's hand hopefully. He complied, stroking Pumpkaboo fondly, and smiled.

"That's good," Evan decided. "I'm glad you can. Now, to think of a name..."

Pumpkaboo studied Evan for a moment, tilting its head and considering itself as Evan's hand ran down its back. "Pum..."

Evan bit his lip nervously. "Do you mind me... doing something slightly invasive? I want to get some information." Pumpkaboo shook its head, and Evan stared at Pumpkaboo, diving in with a murmured 'legilimens'.

He kept his diving quarantined into a small portion of his companion's mind, luring Pumpkaboo's consciousness forward towards him. When he thought they were close enough, he asked mentally, _What would you like your name to be?_

A feminine voice replied, _This is amazing! You're talking to my mind?_

 _Yes,_ Evan answered, amused. _It's a bit dangerous but we'll be fine as long as the participants are willing. As I said, it's invasive._

 _Alright. As for your question,_ Pumpkaboo continued, _I think I'd like a flowery name. I'm already sorta plant-like, after all!_ she chortled.

 _That you are,_ Evan chuckled. _Say, er, what do you think of the name Lily?_

 _Lily? It sounds great, but why?_ Pumpkaboo asked.

Evan sighed. _It's... my mother's name. She was one of the only people I knew who cared about me._

 _Oh._ Pumpkaboo paused, thinking through its words. _What happened to her?_

 _Are you sure you want to know?_

Pumpkaboo nodded firmly, and Evan sighed as he retrieved the memory of the mirror of Erised.

* * *

 _A small boy reflected in the mirror. It turns a bit foggy as he stares into it, finally clearing to show the image of two adults, a man and a woman._

 _The man is tall and wears round spectacles, his eyes twinkling with mischief, his hair black and rumpled, a notable trait of Potter men. It is the woman, however, who brings the child in the mirror to tears as her hand passes through his shoulder, her forest-green eyes like the canopy of a sunlit forest in the early morning, shifting with each emotion she feels. Her hair is long and a vivid auburn, and she blows a strand out of her face, maintaining eye contact with the small, shivering form of the child she cannot touch._

 _The child falls to his knees and sobs._

* * *

Evan broke the connection after that, Sighing deeply and falling with a thud onto the bed in his rented room. Pumpkaboo floated to his side, nestling into Evan's chest, and waited.

"The redhead was my mother," he began, turning back towards the newly-named Lily. "Lily Evans. The man was my father, James Potter. They were... the only people who ever really cared whether I lived or died." He rubbed at his eyes. "They died protecting me."

Pumpkaboo fell silent, and for a few minutes, they merely listened to the sounds of the late night, the hooting of a Pokémon Evan hadn't met yet and the rattle of doors and storefronts as they closed for the day. Relaxing, Evan decided to continue.

"I was subject of a prophecy in... another world, another universe, I guess," he said at last. "and... at the end of it all, Fate - guilty as she was for condemning me to the life I'd led - offered me a chance to live out my life here. From now on, I'm Evan. I don't want to be 'Harry Potter' ever again." He shuddered. "Sorry, Lily. Let's go to sleep."

With that, he pulled up the covers and resigned himself to fitful dreaming, Pumpkaboo watching over him with a sad look on its small face.

* * *

The next morning, Evan woke up feeling vaguely refreshed. He dressed quickly in some of his transfigured clothes and packed his things, lifting Lily onto his shoulder and dashing down the steps.

He headed straight for the bank and made a quick withdrawal of one tenth of his funds, before taking out some of his gold and depositing double what he took. He left for the shops in the area, quickly taking note of the ones he'd seen branches of in Pallet Town.

Stepping into the Poké Mart, a shop he assumed was run by the government if the bland name was anything to go by, he checked his list he'd written the day before and bought some things, mainly a backpack and some extra Pokéballs. Taking this to the cashier, he inquired, "Just these, and do you know where I can buy some clothes?"

The cashier, a young lady, nodded as she rung up the purchases. "Yeah, there's a shop just down the street. It's called Verrdan's, just turn right when you exit and keep walking, hard to miss."

"Thanks," Evan smiled, handing her a few bills. Taking his bag, he continued, "Don't bother to pack up the Pokéballs, I'll just keep them in my bag."

She nodded, handing them over, and waved as he left the shop.

* * *

Verrdan's was a rather nice shop, if a bit small for a clothing store. He had made his way around the shop two times when an attendant came by.

"Can I help you, sir?" She inquired cheerfully, flashing him a winning smile.

"I'm a bit lost, to be honest," Evan admitted, gesturing to the clothing. "I'm a fashion disaster. Any suggestions?"

She eagerly took up the job of picking a wardrobe for him, handing him set after set of jumpers, jeans and hoodies. Her comments were mostly along the lines of 'they go with your eyes!' or 'this one will have people falling over themselves!' he wasn't quite sure what to think about that, but the clothes looked alright, so he bought a decent number of them before finally stopping, since he could only carry so many.

As he left, he heard a few people whispering to each other and listened in.

"-Oh, look at him, he's so toned-"

"-and those _eyes_!-"

He glanced around, briefly wondering who they were talking about, before shaking it off and heading away from town. He'd need to set up camp before he could set up the space-adding spell on the bag and make a portable wardrobe for the clothes he'd bought.

* * *

He checked his handiwork. The bag, white not the same as the magical trunks available in Diagon Alley, was magicked based on those same trunks, having multiple compartments he could walk into and entire rooms in there, though he'd also warded it heavily so he never got trapped inside. Satisfied, he packed away his things, stuffed his clothes into the wardrobe in his bag, and slung it over his shoulder. He walked out again and began to head for the Pokémon Center.

He booked a room for the day and briefly stored his things there, sorting through what he should have in the open and what he should leave behind. Finally, he decided to just take most of everything except for his old transfigured clothes, which he disposed of. Changing into a more respectable set of clothing, he quickly sent the supplied hairbrush through his untameable mop, released Lily onto his shoulder and picked up his bag, ready for a day of exploration in Cerulean.

* * *

It was twenty minutes later that he began to realize people were stopping and pointing at _him_. He couldn't fathom why; after all, he may have been unreasonably rich (not that anyone should know that) and wearing decently expensive clothes, but that didn't make him some sort of celebrity... did it?

He sincerely hoped not.

Watching the people as they went about their shopping, occasionally stopping to look at something - half of the time, him - he idly stroked Lily's head for comfort and smiled reservedly at the trill of joy that resonated in his ear. He kept walking for a while yet, trying to commit to memory the different stores and restaurants. There were a few gift shops, too, though why a place like this could be a tourist trap he wasn't sure.

He heard an interested rattle, and turning to see what Lily was looking at, he noticed a girl with a small, blue, orb-like creature with leaves sprouting from its head. It shook itself, shaking off some pollen-like spores, and he quietly listened in on what she was saying.

"It's alright, Oddish, you didn't mean to get hit by that Starmie," she told him softly, rubbing his head. "We've just got to practice a bit more, then you'll be able to defeat Misty." She was sitting on a bench near a poster for some sort of concert, occasionally sending the poster dirty looks.

He frowned, looking at the poster as well. 'Cerulean Water Flowers!' proclaimed the title, 'the Sensational Sisters live at Cerulean city gym'. He arched an eyebrow curiously, scanning the poster - of three girls in elaborate swimming costumes - for hints as to the show.

He briefly recalled seeing the three of them before, when he was on the beach. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he promptly returned to stroking Lily, leaning against a post and looking at the shops nearby.

It was then that he realized that a lot of the merchandise in the tourist shops were of the sisters. Perhaps they were locals? It would make sense, then, that them holding their show here would attract people. He shook his head irritably; he'd never been a big fan of shows like those.

Lily nudged him, and he looked her in the eye, briefly reopening their legilimency-induced connection. _What do you need, Lily?_ he asked, waiting for an answer.

 _I want to talk to that Oddish,_ Lily sent back. He nodded, closing the connection, and slowly approached the girl, who was still talking to her Oddish.

"Excuse me," he said clearly, getting her attention. "Sorry to interrupt, but would you mind if my Pumpkaboo talked to your Oddish for a bit?" He nodded to the small green-blue Pokémon, who seemed equally as curious as Lily.

"Go ahead," she replied quietly, and the let Lily down to Oddish's level on the bench, where they quickly launched into conversation.

Evan paused, a bit nervous, then asked, "May I sit here?"

She nodded, and he sat down next to her, waiting for Lily. After a moment of waiting he pulled out a small transfigured journal from his bag and began writing; he'd begun to write down the different spells and how to cast them accurately without a wand or words. It was actually rather difficult; while he had plenty of magic, it was hard to express what you wanted to do, which was why he was sketching the movements he used to make it easier.

"What's that?" the girl asked suddenly, shifting nearer. "It looks complicated... and what language is that?"

"Parseltongue," he replied briefly, "and these are just some diagrams." He didn't elaborate, but she proved determined.

"Parseltongue? What's Parseltongue?"

"Ancient language," he replied, a bit tense. "I'm one of very few who know it, not that I'm capable of speaking it." He'd lost the ability to make the hissing noises needed for Parseltongue when he'd lost the curse on his scar. Too bad the public had still considered him public enemy #1. However, he could still understand the words; he'd begun coding his writings by writing in Parseltongue, so no secrets could be revealed easily.

She looked a bit awed for a moment. "So... does your Pumpkaboo have a nickname?" Huh. Talkative one.

"Lily," he replied, focusing on the edge of the hand he was drawing. "Why do you ask?"

She paused and shyly replied, "I... just a little curious. They aren't native to Kanto."

Evan shrugged. "I'm not native to Kanto either." He knew about Kanto and the other continents from the bank, and while he wasn't sure he even _had_ a home continent, he was fairly certain a mystery forest devoid of animal life didn't count as anywhere in Kanto. Sighing, he continued, "My name is Evan. Sorry I interrupted your chat with Oddish."

"No, no, it's alright," she protested, sending a hand nervously through her straw-blond hair, which reached her shoulders. "I'm Cella*. It's nice to meet you."

He nodded agreement. "Um," he suddenly asked, his curiosity piqued, "do you know who those three are?" He pointed to the poster on the post from before.

She scowled. "The Cerulean Water Flowers, also known as the Sensational Sisters," she rolled her eyes, not even bothering to hide her dislike of them. "I swear that the intelligence between them wouldn't fill a teaspoon. They hardly ever partake in their gym duties; they leave it all to their little sister, Misty, who's tough as nails." She sighed and cupped her cheeks, looking downcast. "I _still_ can't beat her."

"In a Pokémon Battle?" Evan inquired sympathetically. He'd been briefed by Professor Oak on how the whole gym league worked, even if he wasn't going to participate. He'd had enough of being in the spotlight; participating in that sounded like _asking_ for trouble.

"Yeah." She looked terribly depressed for a moment, and Evan heard her Oddish coo in concern and hop into her lap. She looked at Oddish's upset and said softly, "I know it isn't your fault, Oddish. I'm just not that good yet." She left the words hanging and rubbed the Oddish's leaves idly, staring into the distance as Lily floated over to Evan's shoulder.

"May I do something?" Evan asked suddenly, holding out a hand to Oddish. She raised an eyebrow but handed her Oddish over, and he placed the little Pokémon on his lap.

Quietly entering the Pokémon's mind, he introduced himself. _Hello. Can I ask you some questions?_

 _Sure,_ a young boy's voice replied. _As long as you tell Cella not to be sad._

He smiled. _I will. I just want to know if there's any particular reasons you're having trouble defeating Misty._

 _Her Staryu's real brutal,_ he said seriously, nodding firmly. _I don't like it. It's really fast, so I can't keep up with it, and it has all that water to swim in... I have to jump around on the platforms to fight it. By the time I beat it, I'm out of breath, and then Starmie comes along. Starmie's a specialist, super powerful. I always end up not able to get away from the attacks, because I'm too tired._ He rustled his leaves, as if trying to gesture his frustrations. _I keep telling Cella that we need to use my spore moves, but she doesn't understand._

 _Thank you, I'll tell her,_ Evan said, politely bowing out of Oddish's mind. He handed Oddish back to her, her confused expression begging explanation.

"I quickly checked with him what was happening," he explained briefly. "Have you considered using his spore moves to stun Misty's Staryu? He's getting too tired to run from Starmie after Staryu tires him out." Cella blinked in bewilderment, information sinking in.

"He has spore moves?" she said quietly, turning to her Oddish. He nodded firmly, shaking out some yellow powder and giving her a firm look. "Sorry I didn't understand before," she said quietly, rubbing her Oddish's head. "We'll try that. Which reminds me... how did you know he could use powder moves?"

Evan came up with the best explanation he could. "Trade secret," he replied smartly, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Good luck with Misty."

"Thanks," she said honestly, returning her Oddish. "Hey, are you taking the gym challenge too?"

"No," he answered, getting up himself. "just travelling, at the moment. I'm not sure what I want to do with myself." He sighed, poking Lily's cheek affectionately. "I suppose you're taking the challenge?"

She nodded. "If... if it isn't too much trouble," she said nervously, "do... do you mind watching the battle? I... I think Oddish and I would do better with some moral support."

"Sure," Evan replied, smiling at her. "Lead the way."

* * *

Cerulean City Gym was a pretty building, which reminded him strongly of the Quidditch pitch for some reason, but he ignored it. It was behind him now. Instead, he focused on following Cella through the halls to the battle judge, who merely dipped his head and let the two of them inside, to where there was a large swimming pool, lined at the sides with spectator seats. After a brief few words of encouragement Evan heard footsteps nearby, and turned to meet the newcomers.

In walked three women who wore skimpy bikinis, their bodies all toned from swimming, their hair dyed in flashy colours - or was the hair colour range just larger here? Evan didn't particularly care. The three of them immediately went up to him, ignoring Cella completely.

"Well, what brings you here?" The tallest among them sing-songed. "From around here?"

"No," he replied, feeling a ripple across his neck. These people reminded him strongly of Pansy Parkinson for some reason. Freaking Pansy. "I'm just here to watch Cella's battle with Misty." He frowned inwardly as they continued to ignore her completely.

"I'm Violet," She announced, long, shiny hair swaying seductively as she flicked it to one side.

"I'm Daisy," the blonde of the three said sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes.

"And I'm Lily," the pink-haired one (really, was it dyed or not?) finished.

"We're the Cerulean Water Flowers!" Violet cried, making a great show of it all. "So, are you here to see one of our shows? Or maybe talk to us personally?"

Evan paused, frowned, and ignored them. "Where's the gym leader?" he asked instead, ignoring their questions.

"Oh, you want a badge?" She shrugged. "You'll have to battle the whelp, then-"

"Whelp?" Evan repeated. "I was fairly certain her name was Misty."

"Well, yeah," Lily admitted, "but she's a total tomboy." She shuddered, as if this was some sort of terrible offense. The blonde looked at her sisters, sighed, and ran back towards the doors, most likely to get Misty.

Throughout all of this, Cella was mostly ignored. She seemed somewhat relieved, actually, that she could sit to one side and let Evan take the attention. He didn't like it, but he didn't wish it on her, so he steeled himself and mentally prepared for a few sharp words.

"Does it matter?" He inquired seriously, barely biting back a scowl. "Cella here came for a battle, and all you've done so far is tell me about your shows. I'm sorry, but I'm not one for theatrics - I'm merely here to show her some support." He cast her a smile, which she returned before stepping up to the plate in the battlefield, waiting.

Just then, a redhead in a blue swimsuit ran over, her hair cut to her shoulders. She cast a dark look at her sisters before walking up to Evan.

"Sorry if they went on about their shows, it's their life's work," she explained quickly. "You're spectating, right? Please head up to the stands, I'd rather not splash you."

He nodded, about to head up, when he heard the biting tone of Violet say, "Oh, look, she gets a boy's attention and immediately sends him away. How _charming_." Misty turned immediately to the offending black-haired sister, glaring at her.

"Well maybe I don't try to seduce _your_ customers!" Misty retorted angrily. He was quietly reminded of Ginny, but hurriedly shook off the resemblance. Ginny and Misty were totally different women. He wouldn't think about Ginny any more.

"How could you not?!" Lily protested, gasping lightly. "He's a total hottie!"

"How about a total nottie," Evan hissed, walking away towards the stands. Misty looked at him incredulously, then burst into helpless snickering as she walked up to the other side of the watery arena. Evan released Lily to watch and sat down calmly, smirking at the Lily of the water flower's gobsmacked expression as the two remaining stood to one side. At least his mother hadn't been like _that._ Daisy was nowhere to be seen, but Violet and Lily were still there, watching on as the battle commenced.

A brief rundown of the rules - two-on-two, no switching - and the match began.

"ODDISH!"

"STARYU!"

Oddish landed on a float, wobbling but standing his ground on the object in the water, as on the opposing side a small, starfish-eqsue Pokémon popped out of Misty's pokéball. It was a five-pointed creature without an eye, but in its center was a red gem which glimmered in the sunlight streaming through the roof. For a few moments the pair stared at each other, and then Cella made her first move.

"Oddish, use Stun Spore!" She cried, initiating the battle. Staryu dove into the water immediately, and Oddish spread his spores, glancing around in concern as he kept an eye out for Staryu.

"Rapid Spin!" Misty called, pointing to Oddish. The Staryu burst out of the water, spinning fast, and dove at Oddish.

Cella took a breath and shot back, "Oddish, jump at the last second!"

'The last second' arrived quickly, and Oddish hopped, scraping his leg but otherwise avoiding the attack. As Staryu swept through, it slowed, much to Misty's chagrin, and the starfish creature hopped onto a float, where it tried to shake off the spores.

"Staryu, dive back into the water!" Misty ordered, thinking fast. Cella frowned and nodded to Oddish, who raced forward as quickly as a walking shrub could and burst in green light, the orbs stealing nips at Staryu before it could get back in. Cella gave her Pokémon a thumbs-up and watched, waiting for her next move.

"Oddish, prepare a powder attack," Cella requested, eyes watching the Staryu as it swam around Oddish like a predatory shark. Misty watched as well, her quick mind thinking through the possibilities as to how she would proceed.

"Staryu, water gun," Misty said reluctantly, the Pokémon managing to comply by conjuring a thin stream of water from its gem, aimed at Oddish. While a few stray shots hit as Oddish danced around the beam of water, they didn't seem to be very effective at all. Finally, the barrage stopped, and Staryu dove back into the water, waiting for instruction.

"Staryu, close the distance!" Misty ordered, keeping an eye on the opponent. Cella frowned and watched as well, peering at the speedy Pokémon as it sped through the water.

"Jump out and-" Misty's command was cut off as Oddish suddenly spun, creating a whirlwind of leaves that captured Staryu and continued for only a few seconds before Staryu fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Great Leaf Storm, Oddish!" Cella cheered, sending her companion a thumbs up over the arena. Misty sighed and returned her Pokémon. Sending the ball a sympathetic look, she grabbed the other Pokeball off her belt and threw it out, a new Pokémon diving into the water in a burst of light.

Evan leaned forward in his seat, peering into the swimming pool to try and catch sight of the Pokémon. It was hard to tell, but it appeared to be similar to Staryu in shape, its colouration being a lavender with an octagonal red gem in its center.

In a mere moment it burst out of the water and dove into Oddish before he could dodge; Cellar gasped in concern as Oddish was pulled under. Her frown deepened and she quickly glanced sound for platforms she could point her leafy friend to.

Evan noticed her expression change, and she cried, "Oddish! Use a spore attack, make it as strong as you can!" A few moments later a bright purple powder burst out from beneath the pool, spreading out as the water waved back and forth. The movement in the water slowed and eddied until finally Starmie rose to the surface, still and unmoving. They waited with bated breath as painstakingly slowly Oddish rose to the surface and gasped of air, scrambling with the aid of its leaves and feet onto a nearby platform, waiting for the Starmie.

"Return," Misty said at last, letting out a short sigh of resignation as her Starmie succumbed to the poison powder. "Good battle, Cella. You've won the Cascade badge."

Oddish sighed in relief before Cella could react and toppled over, fainting on the spot.

Cella gave Oddish a mixed look between pride and upset at the damage sustained, but regardless returned her own Pokémon and shook hands with Misty as Evan walked down the steps to join them. The remaining pair from the Waterflowers had disappeared entirely, thankfully, and Evan clapped appreciatively as he stepped down to meet them.

"You did well," Evan praised her, smiling.

Cella blushed. "We pulled through," she replied modestly, taking the badge out of Misty's hands. "Thank you."

"Sorry my sisters were so annoying," Misty apologized, shooting Evan a pained glance. "they're used to getting whatever they want."

Evan nodded slowly. "I understand. It's not the first time I've met desperate people." Misty gave him an appreciative smile as she led the pair of them back out of the gym, waving goodbye and returning inside to whatever she had been doing before.

"Yes!" Cella enthused, grinning at her badge. "Finally!"

Evan smiled. "I'm happy for you." Something occurred to him. "Shouldn't we get Oddish some medical attention? He did faint." Cella gasped and grasped his hand before he could protest, dragging him through the city to the Pokémon center.

* * *

A/N; Hello again! Missed me?

Unfortunately this chapter is a bit shorter than I wanted it, but oh well. There's always next time. To clear up a question I suspect many of you are asking, no, Evan/Harry will not be taking the gym challenge. Don't worry, though - there's still going to be plenty of excitement to be had! *rubs hands together eagerly*

A great big thank you goes out to all of you who reviewed and vynnessia who added AAP to their community!

As always, please don't be shy to leave a review, even if it's only one word! It means a lot to me to know that you enjoy what I write. Suggestions are welcome.

(But for the love of Merlin, no, I'm not going to add Hedwig as a Noctowl. Sorry if you got your hopes up. If it appeases you, this isn't the last we've seen of the wizarding world or its inhabitants...)


	5. Ch 5 - Hedwig's Roost

Sitting in the Pokémon center, Evan idly stroked Lily's head as Cella twiddled her fingers nervously, waiting for the nurse's report. It was with a deep sigh that she expressed her relief when Nurse Joy announced that he would be well by the afternoon.

"Thank you so much for supporting me," Cella smiled, stirring her drink as she sat across from him in the cafeteria. "I don't know how long I would have spent trying without your help."

Evan smiled gently. "I was happy to." Lily trilled softly in agreement, nipping a piece of tomato off his salad and nibbling it eagerly.

Cella swallowed the salad on her fork. "If you don't mind me asking - how did you talk to Oddish? Most psychics are very reserved with their powers, rarely using them for anyone."

Evan pondered her answer. "I'm not… exactly… a psychic, although I'm something very similar," he admitted. "I suppose it might take more effort on their part. For me it's second nature, and only one of my many abilities."

"So you can levitate things?" She inquired eagerly. "I've seen some do it before, but I could never figure it out."

Evan frowned. He reached out to his glass and quietly focused on the silent commands, and after a reluctant moment the cup hovered two inches above the table. "It's harder without anything to direct it," he admitted, placing it down again. "Usually it's easier than that."

"Still, that was amazing," Cella awed. "You think _I_ could do that?"

"I'm not sure," Evan hedged nervously. "It's something I was born with." And that was true. His time at the Dursleys meant wandless magic had been used long before he'd ever gone to Hogwarts. "But I can tell you a bit about how I do it."

"Go on," she grinned. "How?"

"Well, first you have to find… ugh, there's like this… representation of your will." He shrugged. "You find it via meditation. Then you direct that with three things," he smiled at the memory of his charms class. "There's the will - that's the thing that you have to find, and I'm not sure you'll even have it - then there's the word, or directions, what you want it to do. Finally, there's the… I suppose conduction. What you want it to affect." He pointed. "Like this - _float._ "

He said the word slowly and evenly, the way all students spoke their spells, and the cup obediently floated before dropping down again the moment his concentration broke. "The only necessary part is the will. The words and such just help direct it."

"Awesome," Cella breathed. "Let me try." She reached out and took the cup, placing it down in front of her. She glared at it for a full minute before saying quietly, " _Float."_

Evan immediately felt her will attempt to comply, but it was completely haphazard. It spilled out over the table, and he even noticed a few of the smaller objects shudder, but nothing hovered the way she asked it to.

"Didn't work," she grumbled, and immediately her magic retreated back into her.

"Yes it did," Evan shot back. "That _definitely_ worked. I felt it."

"It did?" She inquired incredulously. "But nothing floated."

"Well, of course not," Evan allowed. "You didn't direct it properly. It just… spilled out. Sorry, I don't know how to describe it." He paused. "I always did have extra skill… maybe you just need a focus."

"A focus?" Cella repeated, curious.

"Yeah, give me a moment-" he reached into his bag and began searching through. He stopped when Lily suddenly began to speak.

 _What is it, Lily?_ Evan asked, raising an eyebrow.

 _You're going to make her a focus?_ Lily inquired. _To use that psychic energy?_

 _If that's what you call it, yes,_ Evan replied. _Any ideas?_

Lily nodded and continued. _You'd need a focus from a psychic-type Pokémon. Like a Kadabra's spoon, or an Espurr hair. Oh, ask that Chansey! She'll have something like that for sure!_ Lily promptly broke the connection and hopped onto the floor, running up to the Chansey standing next to the Nurse at the counter.

"One moment," Evan said quickly, getting up. He speed-walked after Lily, quickly joining her as she talked rapidly to the Chansey, hopping onto Evan's shoulder eagerly.

 _I'm sorry,_ Evan apologized, quietly skimming the surface of the Chansey's mind. _She ran off before I could talk her out of it._

 _It's fine!_ Chansey replied happily. _I'll be right back. Something from a psychic-type, right?_

 _Yes, thank you,_ Evan agreed, waiting. The Chansey raced off and a minute later returned with a small red-and-white hair.

 _A Chingling thread, here you go!_ Chansey said cheerfully. Evan thanked her and walked back to where Cella was waiting.

"It'll probably take a day to make," Evan admitted as he sat back down, "but now I've got a conductive material it should go smoothly." He began quickly recalling what he could about wand woods, how their personalities matched the person, and frowned.

Just then, another Chansey dashed by with a tray holding Oddish's Pokéball, and Cella grabbed it eagerly, smiling brightly and thanking the Chansey as it ran off to its next mission. She held up the Pokéball and grinned as Oddish popped out, shaking itself off and grinning back.

"You feeling better?" she asked, and instead of waiting for an answer pulled Oddish close. For a quiet moment they just enjoyed each other's company before she returned to business.

Evan cleared his throat. "I should be able to get this done soon enough - but please, keep it quiet. This skill isn't something everyone has… it divided me and my family." he paused and pushed away the surfacing memories of the Dursley's treatment. "I don't want that to happen to others. It's best kept secret."

"Alright," Cella agreed reluctantly. "I promise I won't tell." Evan smiled at the burst of magic that went off. She wouldn't tell; her magic would stop her.

"Good," he replied, relieved. "I'll need a day or so to finish this up, but then it should be ready." He reached into his bag. "I need to make it… a sheath of sorts. You can't just go around with a Chingling thread in your hand, after all."

"Maybe make it look like a pencil?" Cella offered. "Not so it's difficult, but for secrecy."

"A good idea," he agreed. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out some of the wood samples from when he was still considering making a wand. "Hold these one by one, take it slow. I need to check something."

She raised an eyebrow but did as told, gripping each one in turn. Finally, she picked up a willow stick, and Evan reached out, taking it slowly from her hand.

"This one," he told her firmly. "Thanks." Glancing about, he got a mischievous expression. "Here's something else I can do." He waved surreptitiously and the wood disappeared in a flash.

"Wow," Cella awed. "That's… awesome!"

"It is," Evan agreed, looking between the Chingling thread and the willow wood. "Will you be back here tomorrow? Same time?"

"Definitely!" Cella agreed, getting up. "I'll leave you to it. Thank you so much! See you tomorrow!" Running off, Evan cast her a fond smile before placing the things in his backpack and lifting Lily onto his shoulder.

He had work to do.

* * *

Evan discovered quickly that wand-making was exceedingly difficult. In the time it took to make Cella's wand - and that took him nearly ten hours non-stop - he made at least ten prototypes which had varying degrees of success, but none that satisfied him. It was the eleventh try that he finally decided to work through it and give it grooves, which helped it immensely, and then furthermore added a bit of a dusting to the wood, spelling some of Lily's spores into it to give it some extra idle magic.

Once he finished that, he collapsed into bed and slept for at least nine hours before waking up, remembering that he had apparated back to his home in the forest, and hurriedly got up to be ready for the day. He may have had five hours to go, but he didn't want to be late.

He placed the wand delicately into a holster he'd made in one of the breaks he set aside for himself, placing that in his bag and closing the door behind him as he began a quiet stroll through the woods. It would do no good to apparate with a foggy mind; to do so would be like waiting for disaster to strike. With Lily beside him, though, he quickly woke up and after an hour of casual walking he was ready to face the day… or at least what was left of it.

He apparated quickly to an alley he remembered from his walk through the city, and once his feet hit the ground (It was always wise to apparate a few inches up, _just_ in case) he began to calm and started walking towards the Pokémon center to wait.

The stores in Cerulean were rather beautiful, smooth and curved, and honestly were about as far from the blocky, haphazard Diagon Alley as it was possible to be. Evan admired them as he walked by, taking his time as he strolled through the city. His eyes wandered over the displays, noting the different forms and creatures he'd never seen before.

He paused in front of a toy shop and sighed. It reminded him heavily of his deprived childhood, watching Dudley in his room, but it still held some wonder for him. In the window was a small arrangement of figurines much like his toy soldiers, but instead they were Pokémon, of all different shapes and sizes. It was a full minute of watching before Lily probed his mind gently, and he let her in.

 _What's wrong, Evan?_ Lily inquired gently. _Do you not recognize the Pokémon?_

 _I don't… recognize them._ He admitted. _I was staring for another reason._

Though silence continued, the question hung in the air regardless.

 _When I was a young child, perhaps only three or four,_ Evan explained, _I lived with a family called the Dursleys. They were eccentric in their desire to appear normal; I, of course, was not normal at all, because I had an affinity for the unexplained. Turning people's hair blue was one of my many mishaps._

Lily hummed quietly. She wanted to laugh, but the story sounded like it would take a dark turn.

 _The Dursleys referred to me as 'Freak'. If not that, then 'Boy'. I didn't know my name until I was six, and I don't want to remember it now, either. The Dursleys, having ripped me of my childhood and used me as free labour, proceeded to continue to treat me like a… monster every year I returned from boarding school at the insistence of a wayward headmaster. I'm sorry, I can't talk any more. I'm free now._

The connection shuddered and fell, and Evan took a steadying breath. He gave the display a wistful, almost hopeful look.

"Cute, aren't they?"

Evan snapped around to look at the speaker. He relaxed quickly when he recognized the untidy mop of orange hair, and even more when he recognized a pair of blue, red-strapped overalls. "Yeah," he agreed quietly.

"I had a collection when I was younger," she admitted, smiling at the memory. "My sisters would always steal the pink ones and water types, though. I never managed to finish my collection."

Evan smirked. "We were in the same boat, then. My cousin was a right git."

Misty blinked, then laughed, a full-on, unashamed belly laugh. "Good one," she grinned, wiping a tear from her eye. "You had annoying relatives too?"

 _A little bit more than 'annoying,'_ Lily grumbled. Evan ignored her in favour of saying, "Yes. The Dursleys were terrible."

Misty nodded in agreement. "The Waterflower family - yes, I know, terrible isn't it? - are all gym leaders, former gym leaders and performers. I always wanted to run the gym, but… being fourth in line didn't bode well. Luckily for me the three you met yesterday decided to go on a world tour and left it to me, and after they came back I eventually just took over for good. Doesn't mean they aren't cruel, but I get to live my dream, so who cares what they say?" She shrugged. "How about you?"

Evan paused to think. "I'm a self-imposed amnesiac, so I can't tell you much," he admitted. "I faced extreme trauma about two or three months ago, and memories have only started returning now. But I remember being the black sheep of the family." He stroked Lily for comfort as he continued. "I was raised by my family and school to believe I wasn't going to live past eighteen, so I never really thought about what I want to do."

At her shocked expression, he continued, "I was targeted by many people. I'll have you know that I've faced more than my fair share of life-death situations."

"You had it worse," she announced faintly. "Mind you, I doubt you have the same love-hate relationship with fate one friend of mine has."

Evan thought carefully about his answer. "I doubt he can blame fate. She fixes her mistakes." Shaking his head, he continued, "I suppose I'll take your word for it. Can you tell me what Pokémon that is?"

They continued into a long conversation about different Pokémon which admittedly changed Evan's view on them. He remembered officer Jenny telling him about Pokémon the size of buses, but when he heard about each one, it sounded rather incredible. Creatures defined by their affinity for different elements; flying through the skies, swimming through the water, racing across plains; climbing mountains, soaring through snowstorms, living side-by-side with people… it was genuinely incredible. Not to mention the myths.

Myths were not just 'myths', like crumple-horned snorcacks or wrackspurts were. They were real, if only you knew where to find them. Misty spent a good time there, recounting her experiences with the legendary Celebi, a time-traveler (which honestly scared Evan; where did it start and where did it end?) and the sibling Pokémon Latias and Latios, and Latios's death. She admitted she was skimming the surface of her experiences, but it was still incredible to know.

As their conversation trailed off, Evan noticed Misty's eyes falling back to the figurines multiple times. With a gentle, private sigh, he asked, "Which ones weren't in your collection?"

"Huh? Oh!" She raised an eyebrow but eagerly pointed at a select few. "What about it?" With a childish smile, Evan went inside the shop. When he returned, he was carrying a small bag.

"You didn't have to," she protested weakly, taking the bag gently in her hands anyway. "I… thank you."

"It was nothing," he smiled. "I like them too, but they're worth more in your hands." Glancing at a nearby clock, he continued, "While I'd love to keep talking, I've got to go. You remember Cella, right? I've got an important thing to give her." He waved goodbye and continued his walk, rather satisfied.

He only had to wait for around thirty minutes; as she walked in, however, he noticed her troubled look, and his instincts kicked in, sending him into a state of hyper-awareness.

"Hello," he said stiffly. She nodded back mutely, a hand drifting up to her lips for silence for only a moment before she sat down and waved down a Chansey to order some food. They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Evan decided to take things into his own hands.

He reached out and gently skimmed the surface of her mind, scanning her thoughts.

 _Rocket member following secret can't quiet what do_

He retreated quickly. "So, how's Oddish? He pushed himself really hard yesterday." His tone was absolutely conversational, and after a brief flicker of confusion Cella hurriedly followed up with the hollow conversation.

"Oh, he's doing fine," she informed him. "We relaxed all of yesterday. How about Lily?"

"She's doing well," he confirmed, rubbing her under the chin. His eyes traced the crowd surreptitiously, quickly finding the person who had followed her in. It was after a quick scan that he figured out what he needed to know.

 _He doesn't have any weapons on him; I suppose he'd use his Pokémon. Bother. There's the symbol of those hooligans I stopped from infiltrating the Pokémon Center the other day; Team Rocket, I guess. Stupid name, but whatever. Right, operation Escape Team Rocket is go._

"Say, you know your way around, right?" Evan inquired easily. "I was thinking of getting something for Lily from one of the shops around here. Could you please show me where to find a shop like that?"

Cella nodded slowly. "I know just the place! Come on, let's go!" She picked up her things and waited impatiently for Evan, her eyes occasionally glancing back at the man near the entrance. Evan lifted a finger to his lips, and the pair walked out, dutifully ignoring the man's solid gaze.

Cella took the lead, and Evan had Lily watch behind them as they weaved through the people, trying to blend in. After a few minutes of leading, Evan gently pushed a thought into Cella's mind.

 _Back alley_

It was with a bit of guilt in his chest that he followed her into an alley, where he grabbed her shoulders. "Hold still," he instructed, and moments later they apparated away, back to his home in the forest.

Dropping her shoulders, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, we're not being tailed any more," he breathed, quickly checking her over. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Cella sat down on one of the chairs. "I don't think I'm ever walking around without Oddish outside his Pokéball again. That was nerve-wracking."

Evan nodded in agreement. "Hot chocolate?" he still had a fondness for the drink, even if they hadn't just escaped a gang member instead of a dementor.

"Yes please," she accepted eagerly, releasing Oddish. "Oddish? Sweet scent, we just escaped a Rocket member."

Oddish nodded sympathetically and began to release soothing spores, and soon their tense bodies relaxed under the influence of the Pokémon's skill. Evan placed a mug in front of her and quickly transfigured a sippy cup for Oddish, seeing as he had no hands to hold a mug in. Both took their drinks and they shared the hot chocolate in an amiable silence.

"Do you think I'll be able to teleport, too?" she inquired, putting down her mug. "That was downright essential to our escape."

"I don't see why not, but I'd have to train you," he warned. "That sort of apparition - teleportation, I suppose - it's rather dangerous if you don't have much experience. You could splinch yourself if you aren't careful."

"Splinch?" To demonstrate, Evan imitated slicing off his arm. She paled. "Oh."

"I'll train you," he decided. "Just on the basics. If you're going to use that I want you to be prepared." He dug into his bag and pulled out a wand holster. "Wear this on your arm, I'll train you to use your focus from it. The focus slides into that hole, there. Oh, that reminds me." He pulled out the custom willow wand. "Here you go. Willow, eleven inches, Chingling thread core." She took it daintily, picking up the wand carefully.

He silently corrected her grip, and from there it was just like his days in the DADA. First he showed her shields of varying strengths, then proceeded to teach her some basic charms to defend herself - expelliarmus being the favoured, with Petrificus Totalus and some other defensive charms thrown in for good measure. It was somewhat difficult to teach her to cast it silently, but she was a quick learner, and had it down pat four hours later.

"It's getting late," she commented, lowering the hand that had her wand attached. "Do you think that's good enough?"

"Just keep practicing," Evan agreed. "C'mon, I'll apparate you back to Cerulean. I just have to find a place…"

"Don't bother," she told him suddenly. "It's just like teleportation. Psychics can do it, so nobody bats an eye. Even if it is a bit rare for someone to be that powerful."

Evan raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Alright. Cerulean Pokémon Center?"

"Yeah." He took her shoulder into his hand, and with a crackling _pop_ the two disappeared.

* * *

Sitting in his room at the Pokémon Center, Evan chatted idly with Lily, thinking about the day's events.

 _Team Rocket seems sort of like a gang,_ he commented. _What do you know about it?_

Lily hissed, an eerie rattle emerging. _Team Rocket is really mean! They keep trying to steal Pokémon from others! Professor Oak hates them!_

 _Is there anything I can do to stop them?_ He inquired. While he hated killing Voldemort, he wouldn't leave innocents in danger. It was part of who he was.

Lily thought about it for a while. _Not much,_ she admitted at last. _They're huge. A company, sort of. Their whole goal is to exploit Pokémon for their own gain. There are just so many of them that you can't really counter them._

 _How do they get people to work for them?_ Evan asked. _Do you think if there were enough people, they could be counter-attacked?_

 _I guess,_ Lily agreed. _Mind you, their Pokémon aren't adverse to attacking people! It's like they were threatened, you know? The ones I've seen are always tense and fearful._

Evan closed his eyes and groaned into his hands. _One moment, Lily, I need to think about something._

In his head, he was throwing an idea back and forth that both seemed brilliant and scared him to death. He considered the idea of, well, rescuing the Pokémon and then having them fight back. It was, in retrospect, a rather terrifying idea for him, because it was just so _similar_ to what happened to him.

He remembered believing that Dumbledore had been his salvation, his saviour, and thinking that he would do anything to escape the Dursleys. He had been so easily manipulated… and furthermore, he'd been thrown into Gryffindor by the ear, his thoughts on Slytherin being poisoned quickly early on. No, he _definitely_ belonged in Slytherin, but Dumbledore simply didn't want his precious toy soldier corrupted. Even if Dumbledore was a cruel person, he wasn't Voldemort, which was what kept him under Dumbledore's thumb. The last thing he wanted to do was become Dumbledore.

 _Lily, I want to save them, help them fight back, those Pokémon._ He said slowly.

Lily nodded in agreement. _It's a good idea!_

 _I'm scared, though,_ he moaned mentally, pulling up his knees. _What if I end up repeating the past, Lily? What if I end up just like the people who tried to manipulate me?_

 _Simple - give them a choice!_ Lily said firmly. _It's natural for Pokémon to settle disputes with battles, but if it bothers you that much, you can just explain and give them a choice._

Evan paused and postulated. _You think that would work?_

 _Sure it would! You'd just need to have some Pokémon to start with!_ Lily chirped. _You've got me!_

 _Thanks, Lily._ Evan pulled her close and breathed a sigh of relief. _You think I should ask Cella about it?_

 _Yeah! And Misty!_ Lily grinned. _Misty's super powerful! Even more powerful than she lets on!_

 _She is?_ Evan shrugged. _If you say so, Lily. I'll ask them both tomorrow morning._

 _Good!_ And with a final rattle, Lily fell asleep, followed quickly by Evan.

* * *

The next morning, Evan passed by a local shop and bought a pair of journals to work with. From there, he sat in the Cerulean Pokémon Center and quickly wrote down his ideas, sketching out a few simple objects he considered, much like the ones in Dumbledore's Army. While that had been a dubious success, and obviously members would not be able to use magic, he had some vague plans as to how it would work.

 _You did say there were Pokémon that could teleport, right Lily?_ Evan asked, glancing over to his companion from his booklet.

 _Yep!_ Lily confirmed. _I can't, but I know that Abra and its evolutions can! Oh, and some others too. You have special powers, right? Maybe you can take down the psychic barriers keeping those Pokémon from escaping! You could ask them for help teleporting people!_

 _That's an idea,_ Evan agreed. _Thanks, let me write that down._ They fell back into amiable silence, the only sounds being that of the surrounding trainers, their Pokémon, and pen on paper.

 _This will be… pretty big, if it works,_ Evan commented. _I should probably have a front for it. Good thing I own a company, I suppose._ He tapped the paper thoughtfully. _How does Hedwig's Roost sound?_

 _Good, but who's hedwig?_ Lily inquired.

 _A good friend,_ Evan replied wistfully. _A very good friend._

* * *

It was a few hours later that Evan caught sight of Cella again. Smiling, he waved her over, and once she noticed him she brightened considerably.

"Hey, Evan!" She greeted him, sitting down next to him. "Didn't think you'd still be in town!"

"I haven't prepared myself for the walk to the next city yet," Evan replied readily. "And anyway, I had business here."

"Oh?" Cella raised a curious eyebrow. "What sort of business?"

"Secret business," he replied, tapping his journal. "But I suppose I can tell you."

Cella grinned. "I can keep a secret. Go on, tell me!"

"Alright, alright," Evan laughed. "You know how there're those thugs running amok, right? Team Rocket, folks like them."

"Yeah?" Cella urged him. "What about them?"

 _I have a plan to counter them,_ he said directly into her mind. _I'm going to build a company that will be a front for a group called Hedwig's Roost. It'll educate trusted civilians on espionage, rescue missions, and the like. Meetings will be held in random locations, and members will each hold an item which will change to say the date of the next meeting. It'll be inconspicuous - I'm partial to a dollar coin, but it could get lost. Once trained, they can head out and assist in defending their hometowns, or even places they travel to, against any who seek to harm them or the Pokémon._

Cella whistled. "Big plans," she murmured. After a moment, she continued, "Count me in."

"You'll help out?" He smiled. "Thank you. Oh, here," he handed her a coin. "This was the practice coin I was working on. I'm using my… skill… to make it change according to what the one here looks like." He pointed to the coin and it transformed from the golden sheen to a ruby red. "I can do that and make it have the date."

"Awesome," she breathed. "So… the idea is that they're like idle guardians?"

"Pretty much," he agreed. _Get enough trusted civilians and you'll have miniature armies ready to fight the moment anyone tries anything. I'm thinking of recruiting a police officer or two so that we can do background checks on potential members._

"Oh, ask Misty," Cella suggested. At Evan's surprise, she continued, "she's well known, trusted. If you can recruit her, you can get the aid of pretty much any gym leader you want, as well as the law. They know her well from when she was travelling." Cella grinned. "Some of the stuff she did was famous!"

"I suppose I should ask her then," he smiled. "I haven't got anything to lose."

"Come on, let's go, I'm excited now!" Cella enthused, jumping to her feet. "This is going to be _sweet!_ "

* * *

"I'm in!" Misty cried, grinning. "Let's beat some Rocket butt!"

" _After_ we get the support of the police and recruit some more members," Evan finished for her, hands up in a calming motion. "I'd love to just beat them now, but we really need more than three people, Misty. I'm going to be recruiting, but we need police backing first and foremost." _That was what went wrong last time,_ he thought privately. Misty nodded, calming herself down rather quickly, and smiled sheepishly.

"Right. So, this company front," She inquired, "What's that called? Like, you can't just call it and the organization the same thing. Let me take a look at those plans." Evan handed his journal to her obligingly, watching as her keen eyes scanned the pages.

"So if the organization is called Hedwig's Roost, I guess HR for short," Misty decided, "The company should be called something different. Just so we know which one we're talking about."

Evan paused for a moment, then grinned. "Prongslet," he decided. "Prongslet Incorporated, if you think that makes it sound more professional."

"Prongslet?" Cella inquired.

"My parent's nickname for me," he explained. "At least, my father's." he got a wistful expression. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs - they were a group of kids who grew up together. My father was Prongs. Together they made one of the greatest inventions of all time."

"What sort of invention?" Misty asked curiously, closing the journal.

Evan paused, thinking. "This," he said slowly, taking out the coin. _I can't really tell her that it was the Marauder's Map they made,_ he thought quietly. _This'll have to do._ He sent Cella a knowing look, and she pulled out her coin.

"Watch," he smirked, tapping the coin gently. In a flash it turned into a brilliant ruby. A moment later, Cella's coin took the same shape.

"What? How did you-?" Misty goggled. "You know what? I'm not going to ask. That's brilliant."

Evan nodded appreciatively. "It's how members are going to find out the next meeting for the organization. I'll carve the next date into the coin, and all the others will imitate it."

Misty nodded. "Right, give me some time, and I'll get the help of some of the officers. We can quietly circumvent any inquiries. You're right to keep this quiet; Team Rocket are huge financially. It's difficult to win against them; people often buy their way out of prison, you get where I'm coming from?"

"I know exactly what you mean," Evan agreed. Reaching out, he took his journal back and shimmied closer to the two girls, pointing at a few key drawings.

"You should really disguise these," Misty commented suddenly. "I know you've got secret words on here, since you're explaining them, but you should hide the actual notes among false ones."

"Who says they have to be false?" Cella piped up. "You're good at drawing, Evan, you could draw Pokémon in here. Observations, whatever."

Evan paused. "Brilliant idea," he agreed suddenly, smiling. "Thanks, Cella."

"No problem," she replied sheepishly, rubbing her neck. "Let's just do our best, yeah?"

"Right," Evan smiled, and he returned to his journal eagerly, the ideas on the page begging to be shared.

* * *

A/N: Hello again! Thank you all so much for the reviews, patience, and support!

A few shoutouts to my dedicated readers and reviewers!

First, a general one to everyone who reviewed in the past few hours! It means a lot to me! Second shoutout goes to AnonChan1 who has reviewed on pretty much every chapter! Gosh, I love people like you. Thanks! Third shoutout goes to the brilliant mind who came up with the idea for the journals, to have Evan draw and write about the Pokémon he meets. You know who you are. Finally, a big thank you to everyone who has voted on the poll so far - the poll will stay up for another twelve hours before I take it down to look at the results at noon, so if you haven't voted yet… *wink wink nudge nudge*

Next time, we'll be seeing a new team member! Get ready - his introduction will not be what you expected, at the least…


	6. Sidestory 1 - Turniphead

He wiped his forehead in exhaustion, eying his drooping blond locks unhappily. His messy look was a constant reminder that he was no longer the Lord he remembered himself being.

Sighing, Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince, ex-git extraordinaire, got up from the rune arrangement around his bubbling cauldron and hurriedly began to stir. If this was successful, he'd have a permanent glamour potion. He was going to escape.

The death of Harry Potter had been widely reported all over the country. Sympathizers paid their respects while those happy he was gone celebrated in pubs. Surprisingly, it was rather evenly split, and Draco was one of the few from Hogwarts who remembered him fondly.

He winced at the memory. Their school days had been a painful time for Draco, and his freedom had only started a few short months ago. At the moment, he was living it up in Severus's old home, Severus's will being split evenly between himself, the Potters, and Albus Dumbledore. The money that went to the Potters was actually redirected to him, strangely. He was finding himself with a lot of spare money somehow.

At least he had riches still.

His public image had shattered to pieces, however. He was getting more and more nervous every day; while he hadn't been attacked yet, he knew when he wasn't welcome. It wouldn't be long before he was attacked on the street, and nobody would save him but himself.

It was Potter's will - _Harry's_ will - that shocked him most. It had taken some legal maneuvering to at least get it heard, but the interior had shocked him.

Everything - _everything -_ had gone to Draco.

For some reason, Harry had turned against everything that made him him - Dumbledore, the muggleborn girl, even Weasel hadn't gotten two knuts. He remembered the words being read from the muggle machine Harry had left behind…

" _I have quietly listened and followed orders for a long time now," the voice of his ex-rival rang through the hall, like a taunt; 'you'll never be able to pay him back, you'll never be able to pay him back for saving your life…' "and I believe it's time I spoke honestly about my life. Put simply, it sucked."_

" _Ungrateful git," Ronald Weasley muttered unhappily._

" _We gave everything for him," Hermione Granger commented airily, frowning at the machine. "What more could he have wanted?"_

 _The machine continued relentlessly, ignorant to the pissed comments of the listeners. "I spent the first eleven years of my life in an abusive muggle home. When I came to the wizarding world, I expected something magical; the sort of people from stories. I expected an escape, for people to finally notice how I was being treated. Instead, I was used like a tool, raised up like a statue, and quite literally shoved back into the cupboard once my usefulness or popularity took a nosedive, only to be reclaimed and dusted off like a trophy every time my popularity and usefulness rose."_

 _Harry scoffed. "Ronald Bilius Weasley; you get one knut from my vaults, considering you put in two every time the public decided to pick up their plaything again."_

 _Ronald exclaimed something rude rather loudly, and Hermione pushed him down and muffled his voice, murmuring empty monetary promises. Ginerva, his sister, strangely did not act on this, nor did anyone else. The twin weasels weren't even at the hearing._

" _Hermione Jane Granger," he continued softly. "You were once a nice girl. You helped me learn, worked with people, and once was willing to protect me with your trademark bluebell flames." he chuckled, but it was strangely hollow. "You would have made a great actress; you had me fooled. Thanks for stealing from me; I'm afraid there's only a galleon left for you, considering you took about as much as I was planning on giving you upon my death."_

 _The muggleborn gasped softly, but before she could say a word the goblins were by her sides, caging her in. The girl would not escape._

 _Draco gulped. If even his closest friends were being attacked like this…_

" _I lived a life of toil from eleven to my adulthood, and I must say that I knew very well that you all wanted a disposable weapon, someone who would race valiantly into battle and sacrifice himself." He snorted. "You idiots. Forcing me into Gryffindor, instead of my rightful place, Slytherin… tampering with my work so that I would never get even the marks I deserved… manipulating my life at every turn. Returning me, year after year, to useless, fallen blood wards, laughing every time I begged and begged to be allowed to stay anywhere but my home… how did you never notice? Oh wait, you did." He hissed. "Now that you've killed me, allow me the honour of returning the favour."_

 _There was a crackling sound, and a few goblins came through with a large machine which was quickly latched to the table. Some chains protruded from it, and they spilled out onto the table. Before any of them could even blink, each were chained to the machine, unable to escape. Draco feared for his life, but really, he felt as if he deserved it. The pit in his stomach grew._

" _This machine, as I'm sure the goblins will have chained you to, will place each and every one of you through pain equal to that which you have unjustly given to me, be it emotional or physical." The tension in the room was palatable. "Luckily, if I have wronged you, the machine will be more merciful. Once it is over, you will be led to a vault where you will hear some more personal messages."_

 _A buzzing sound began, and Draco winced, waiting. Finally, he opened one eye, staring incredulously at the crowd._

 _A few people were hissing in pain or recoiling, but most held shocked expressions, mixed with a dusting of fear and a drop of dazed mindless gaze. Draco watched as his chains opened nearly immediately. It seemed the machine gave people emotional pain as well as physical._

" _Follow me," A goblin - Griphook? - told him. Shuddering, Draco got to his feet. At least Harry recognized Draco's forgiveness._

 _They walked through the twisting tunnels for quite a while, finally stopping at a plain, white door. The goblin traced his finger down the front, and waved Draco inside._

 _Nobody messes with goblins. Draco went in._

 _Inside was a wealth of treasure, but Draco knew better than to touch it. Instead, he went into the center of the room and stared at the small machine on a pedestal. With a sudden whirring noise, it began._

" _If you're hearing this, Draco, it means I died." Harry's solemn voice rang out into the room. The door had already closed for privacy. "I'm sorry. Gosh, I know that's strange to say, I suppose you're happy, but I just wanted someone who would legitimately regret my death. You're the only person who ever… well, saved my life."_

 _Draco heard a choked sniff. "I don't think anybody else will miss me at all. The Death Eaters will celebrate my death, the 'Light' side -" this was said with great sarcasm - "-will nod and smile and say that it was for the greater good, and you'll be the only one who doesn't have the war mentality getting in the way of how you perceived me. Put simply, you're the only person who saw the real me."_

 _Draco stared into the nothingness as the muggle machine drew out the silence with its annoying whir._

" _I know I wasn't ever nice to you. I hurt you terribly, believed the wrong people when it came to opinions on Slytherins. If the hat hadn't had blood prejudice, perhaps we'd have been in the same house, and I know it would have been different then."_

 _Draco's mind was a replay of everything Harry had ever done. Suddenly it seemed obvious that Harry was a Slytherin; after all, one could have traits from all the houses. Character wasn't a limited thing, to be distributed over different parts of a person. Harry was Gryffindor, but he was far more fit for Slytherin._

" _I know money won't buy forgiveness," Harry continued, "but you're the only one worthy of the money I have left. Draco, the remainder of the Potter estate, and all magical and muggle artefacts to my name, are being passed on to you. For the love of Merlin, all I ask is that you don't let those people who called themselves my friends use it. I don't care what you do with it as long as they disapprove."_

 _Easily met requirements, but Draco was too in shock to do more than store the information for later. "And if… if you find yourself alone, know that I was in the same place once. I remember how you always seemed to fear Lucius. I remembered it because I was the same with my uncle. We were the same child on different sides of the war."_

 _There was a rustling sound, and he continued, "There's a potion in the back that will remove your dark mark, if it didn't disappear already. Consider it my way of repaying you, so that you can continue to walk around freely." Draco gulped. If it was real… it could save him, buy him time. "That's all. Good luck, Draco… and I'm sorry I didn't trust you the first time. If I could've taken the hand you offered in first year now, I would." The muggle machine coughed a few times and sputtered to a stop, leaving Draco in a shocked silence._

It had worked. The dark mark was no longer on his arm. And though Harry's efforts hadn't saved him from being publicly destroyed, he was at least able to leave the house without being killed. The others who had once worn the Dark Lord's mark had been systematically murdered, and it was only by walking around in short sleeves that he'd gotten the message out and hadn't been murdered yet.

 _THUMP._

He jumped back, eying his cauldron warily. It wasn't supposed to go thump, or even make noise at all. He threw up a shield and eyed the cauldron. It wouldn't see the end of production, unfortunately; he should have been stirring by now.

The liquid, instead of turning milky from the lack of stirring, suddenly turned a strange, somewhat galactic purplish blue-black. He backed up some more; this was unknown territory. A strange, tinkling laughter echoed out, and Draco briefly wondered if he smudged a rune and ended up summoning a demon.

 _POP!_

In front of him was a strange, green creature. Okay, perhaps it was a strange side-species of faerie. It had the wings for it, at least, and its head did look oddly like a turnip.

"Alright, turniphead, what are you doing here?" Draco asked grouchily. "I _needed_ that potion! Wha- what are you doing?" He backed away as the creature got closer and closer, wide blue eyes staring at him, and for a brief moment he considered the idea that this was something sent to judge him.

"Biiiiii!"

 _Okay, now it's just cute,_ Draco sighed, lowering his wand. He held out a hand tentatively, and the creature brightened considerably, grabbing his hand in its two small paws and shaking it vigorously. _Seems to understand the concept of 'handshake', at least._

"Bree! Beebebreebiiii!" It flew away and began a strange air-dance through his potions room, spreading fairydust everywhere. His eyebrow twitched, but he remained in control, watching it warily as it finally slowed down and smiled at him brightly.

"What do you want?" He asked quietly, one hand hovering over his wand holster. It grinned and grabbed his hand, rendering him unable to grab his wand, and then he felt an unfamiliar pull.

He screwed his eyes shut and waited for death.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Draco stared up at the night sky.

 _The… sky?_

A few thoughts immediately passed through his head.

 _Potion failed turniphead bree harry wand Where am I?!_

Immediately his hand raced to his side - he felt the wood, but there was no thrill of magic as he touched it. Groaning, he pulled himself up to a sitting position and brushed the rocks off his back and from the seat of his pants, grumbling about green turnips and failed potions.

He stretched tentatively, checking himself over to make sure that he wouldn't fall over before he got up. Satisfied with his condition, he got to his feet and looked around.

 _Well, at least nobody will know me here._

The town looked oddly abandoned, the lights around being faint to allow him to observe the natural lights unobstructed. Stars glimmered overhead, but they were unfamiliar, which was rather strange since Draco had an 'O' in Astronomy, not that he continued the subject.

He breathed out, letting himself relax, and eyed his wand warily. The familiar trill it used to give never came; it lay there, effectively just a stick on the ground, and shaking his head he ignored it. It wouldn't save him now.

He had never studied muggle defense, no matter how much it would have helped him now; he was beginning to regret accepting the trash he was fed about muggles. Without magic, they would be the ones to survive.

He tentatively threw up a shield. It flew up immediately, and his eyes went wide. Silent, wandless magic seemed to come easily here. He smiled. At least he still had his magic.

Gulping, he began walking, keeping note of where he was going as he walked along the empty streets. He wasn't wearing a robe, thank goodness; it seemed that this was a muggle neighbourhood. If it was even on earth.

"Hey, you there, in the fancy green shirt!"

Draco spun on his heel, one hand at his side from habit, the other out in front of him and ready to throw up a shield, statute of secrecy be damned. He stared into the eyes of the guy who'd called out to him for a few moments longer before relaxing and leaving his hands in a resting position as the strangely-dressed youth approached, a strange creature on his shoulder.

 _Huh. Suddenly I feel like Lovegood would have enjoyed it here._

"Is there something you need?" He asked carefully, watching as the thing on his shoulder chirped something into the boy's ear. The colours were rather bright for his taste, blues and reds, and the boy's bag was a dark purple which didn't match at all.

The boy shook his head gently, smiling all the while. "No, it's just dangerous around here at night. Wild Pokémon, stuff like that. Where's your Pokémon?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Pokémon?" He repeated faintly, eying the creature still.

 _POP!_

"AGH!" He leaped back, glaring at the green creature which had popped into existence at his shoulder. It giggled annoyingly, completely unaware that it had scared Draco out of his wits or that the boy beside him was gaping in shock.

"Celebi?" the boy breathed. "It's… it's an honour to meet you." _Oh shit,_ Draco thought dryly, _the green thing must be revered. I must've offended it._

 _Well, not like I haven't offended important people before._ "This turnip thing is called 'Celebi'?" For a pregnant moment the boy stared at the two of them, but it was broken by Celebi grabbing Draco's hair and pulling it.

"Hey! I spent two hours on that this morning! STOP! OI!" He hissed and tried to fight it off, but every time he seemed about to get a hit in, it flickered and appeared behind him. Finally he gave up, taunted by Celebi's laughter as it rolled through the air, legs kicking and arms holding itself in a deep belly laugh.

"You really shouldn't offend a legendary Pokémon," the boy told him seriously. "Celebi can travel through time, you know."

"Through time?" Draco huffed. "Right. I suppose that's what happened to me. Hey, Celery, taking me back any time soon? I wasn't finished my potion. I'll have to make another one."

Celebi got an expression which looked terribly wrong on a turnip. It was somewhere between smug and evil, and Draco didn't like it at all.

There was another, fainter _pop_ , and another creature - Pokémon? - a yellow-headed Pokémon with closed eyes and two silvery tails popped into existence, and at this point the boy who'd first called him was speechless. Draco felt a probe at his mind, and a tinkling voice trickled in.

 _I apologize for the suddenness of my arrival,_ The yellow one said, and Draco decided he liked this one a bit more. It was at least polite enough to talk to him. _My name, as given by your species, is Uxie, a spirit of knowledge. Draco, unfortunately, Celebi has forgotten to inform you that you did not travel through time, but the very fabric of reality. You will be unable to return._

"Unable to return?" Draco inquired faintly.

 _Your belongings will be teleported here shortly by a friend of mine,_ Uxie continued, and Draco suddenly felt like he was talking to Luna, who really didn't give a hippogriff's rear what anyone thought about what she was saying. _And I regret to inform you that the stick in your pocket no longer functions, but that your natural abilities will continue to work, though only within the bounds of this universe. There is currently one other traveler who comes from your universe in this one. If you wish to seek him out, travel with those who see Fate's hand._

With that, the two beings popped away, leaving a gobsmacked native and a disgruntled displaced wizard in the streets of New Bark Town.

* * *

A/N: SURPRISE! Say hello to Draco!

So, it's been only a few days but I've been working real hard, and I've finally hammered out Harry's future team (sorta). We'll be seeing his gathering of Pokémon rather soon, though probably not right away since we've got some other things to clear out the way.

I'd like to thank all of you for reviewing! It means a lot to me! I want to personally address some of you and answer some questions that everyone should hear or that I couldn't due to their status as a guest.

Lady Pyra has graciously pointed out that the very first chapter on this is sort-of against Fanfiction Policy. All I can say is; whoops. (It has been moved to the end of chapter one.)

Ronin Kenshin asked why Harry didn't encounter any wild Pokémon in the forest at the beginning. The answer is rather difficult, but imagine that place as being like one of the mirage spots in ORAS; it only has one Pokémon, if any. We can only guess why those places are vacant of Pokémon, but it worked for my purposes, so... *shrugs*.

I'd also like to mention something about shiny Pokémon. A few of you have asked for shiny Pokémon to be on Harry's team, and while I do love my shiny Pokémon, I am highly reluctant to have one. If, and only if, we have a shiny Pokémon, it will be the ONLY one. Therefore, I will hold off on placing a shiny into the story until I can be certain that it would be beneficial to the story and furthermore can be certain that its placement would not make any particular character outshine the others. Literally. The value of shiny Pokémon comes from rarity, and so I intend to keep them rare. (this has been a minirant from yours truly.)

As for those of you who voted - the most popular choices have made it into the plans for the story and will be introduced slowly throughout the chapters. Thanks for your input!

Alright, I'll see you all next time. I hope you enjoyed this sidestory/minichapter, because I plan on having more. Next time on Avoiding a Prophecy - Lots and lots of exposition.

PS. Suggestions for Draco's team and Cella's team will open shortly; a quick reminder that Draco will not be meeting up with Evan for quite some time.


	7. Ch 6 - Up and Running

Evan walked away from the police station feeling drained but satisfied. Two police officers had registered their group and gotten permission to do background checks for them. One of them was actually the officer Jenny that had found him a few days back. They had taken control of recruiting, thankfully, so all that he'd need to do is supply them with the charmed coins, which he'd actually trained an Abra to do. It was rather disconcerting that it was able to do it quickly and without needing the main one, but he decided that he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The instruction was going to be a weekly affair; he was going to have mostly observers for the first few meetings, since they were expecting quite a few people to join and needed more than just Evan to train them. After training the teachers he was simply going to oversee the company as a whole. He'd organized his company that morning to accommodate it, and now all he needed was a building and people.

He looked down at the Xtransceiver in his hand and shook his head in amusement. It was strange how technologically advanced this new universe was; Xtranceivers, instant healing machines, teleportation devices, fossil restoration… it was incredible. He snickered at the idea of how one of the stuffy pureblood wizards would have reacted; probably fainting when they realized muggles had advanced far beyond the wizards with electricity.

Which reminded him - he needed to run some tests. Putting away his Xtransceiver, he walked into the trees and teleported away to his home.

* * *

Two grueling hours later, Evan had finally figured it out.

He had realized earlier in the day that his magical capabilities were skewed. While he could barely manage to _wingardium leviosa_ a cup, he was able to create wards without a second thought. Obviously, his skillset had been altered.

To put it simply, the way he thought about the spell altered the result. If he thought to do a _wingardium leviosa,_ it barely worked. If he thought to levitate it 'with telekinesis', it worked almost _too_ well. His conclusion? If he wanted his magic to work here, he had to play by this world's rules, by which he meant think by this world's magic.

Since magical creatures were replaced by - or at least, were somewhat synonymous with - Pokémon, his magic would probably work similarly to, or like, a Pokémon's. His thoughts on this were pursued with another hour's testing, which then came up with some startling results.

Much like in his original world, words amplified the power and precision of whatever he tried to do. While saying 'Wingardium Leviosa' resulted in no effect whatsoever, 'Telekinesis' resulted in the glass he was trying to levitate being smashed into the ceiling from the sheer power.

His conclusion? Translate everything useful into Pokemon world terms, and his magic would work as well, if not even better, than before.

That said, he really wondered how his magic worked. As a teenager in Wizarding Britain, he'd never questioned it; it just… worked. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes he struggled to manage a simple charm. But now, with him being capable of all these spells… how did it actually work?

Resolving to do some meditation and figure it out later, he rose once more and headed back to town, completely unaware of what lurked just beyond the trees…

* * *

"Hey, I never asked," Cella mused, following Evan through the empty halls of the building. "What do you do for a living?"

He stopped frantically sketching plans for the layout and blinked. Biting his lip, he said, "I sell gold."

"Meowth gold?" She inquired further. "Or, like, out-of-the-earth gold?"

He shrugged awkwardly. "My sources are… unique. But my gold is one-of-a-kind, as far as I know," he chuckled. He reached into his bag and handed her one of the melted galleons. "Take a look."

"Woah," she grinned. "How much are these even worth?"

Evan laughed in reply. "Keep it," he said, dodging the question masterfully. "It'll get you out of a hard spot sometime, I suppose." he turned back to his notebook, which was quickly becoming a constant companion, and began outlining the edges of the room they were passing by.

"You know," she commented, entering the elevator, "I don't claim to know much about selling gold… but you can't be older than twenty. I was fairly certain all gold-sellers were elderly…" She winced. "Bad assumption?"

Evan shrugged. "To be fair, I don't exactly… work in the traditional sense. It's not like I have shops or anything. I just exchange things with the bank. Stocks, that sort of thing. The gold just lets me buy that." He hopped in with her and pushed the button, feeling the familiar drop as they began to descend to the ground floor.

"Oh," Cella hummed. "Alright. So, what are you planning to do after you finish up with this? Stocks can't take up much time."

"Why are you so curious?" Evan grumbled back, closing his notebook with an indignant huff. "Did it occur to you that I might not feel like doing anything at all?"

"You don't give off a boring vibe, though," she mumbled. "You really don't do _anything?_ "

The elevator gave off a faint _ding_ , and Evan stepped out of the transportation to began walking briskly towards the door. "Not really, no. I spent a few months out in the wilderness, I suppose… then I spent a week setting myself up here." He made it intentionally vague. "Then I met you a few days ago, and I've just been taking cues from whatever piques your interest. My life really isn't that exciting."

"But… psychic powers?" Cella pressed. "There _must_ be a story behind that."

Evan froze, stumbling as memories assaulted him. He shook it off. "If there is a story," he hissed, "I don't want to remember it, Cella."

She gulped. "Bad memories?"

He released Lily and gestured to his shoulder. Seeing his expression, she floated up, leaving a ghostly trail behind her, and nuzzled into his cheek, offering support in her own little way. He took a deep breath and nodded slowly.

"Sorry," she said sincerely. "I'll just… give you some time or… whatever. I'll meet you back at the Pokemon Center later?" she offered weakly.

"Mm." he agreed, rubbing Lily's chin.

He didn't even notice her leave.

 _I need to deal with these memories._

* * *

"So allow me to repeat your statement," the celestial being, great, powerful, and altogether quite reasonably feared and revered from this universe to the next, rumbled dangerously. "You, Fate, made a mistake."

"Whoops," she agreed, twiddling her thumbs. "Big, big whoops."

"And you, Fate," it - for the being really didn't have much of a gender at all, and prefered not to assume one - continued, "decided to fix your mistake with some universal meddling which forced me to send Celebi to retrieve loose ends in an attempt to balance the elements." it watched as Fate cowered slightly under its deep, piercing gaze.

"Yep, yep, and also yep." Fate replied, retaining the cheeky streak she had around her fellow universal existences when not delivering prophecies - or, it seemed, fixing her _mistakes_.

"You are lucky," it growled, a lip curling up despite its lack of a mouth, or indeed, a face, "that there was only one wizard needed to balance the elements for your _mistake's_ magic to be stable. Even so, I had to twist their bodies to the point that they are no longer even _human_ so that they could reliably use their powers in _my_ home without burning themselves to a crisp."

It turned its glare back to full force as it dove further into the rant. "And now he's running around unlocking people's psychic abilities and pretending they're-" - It huffed in distaste - "- _wizards_ and giving them wands to play with. I hope you know just how much your _tampering_ has changed. Entire _prophecies,_ spanning _centuries,_ might have to be changed. I dearly hope my Celebi will someday forgive you, Fate." With an indignant growl, it promptly turned its back on Fate and tilted its chin at an angle which might have been called skyward, had there been a sky.

"I hope so too, Arceus," Fate remarked, remembering the _last_ individual to anger a horde of Celebi.

"You will _not_ call me that idiotic human-given name," it replied. "You can at least offer me amusement while I contact my son, who is no doubt going to throw a fit over having _wizards_ messing around with _his_ dimension to create expanded carry-on luggage." He snorted. " _Bags._ He's given the power to create spaces the size of planets from which he can recall the contents with a mere thought, and he makes _bags_ and fills them with _gold_ and chopped up _trees._ Humans will _never_ be in the realm of my comprehension, and I _made_ them."

Suddenly, Arceus swore. " _NOW WHAT?"_ He growled, his all-seeing eyes (which could see quite a lot, just not all at the same time) showing him what had just occurred. "Oh, for heaven's sake, ANOTHER one? I thought that bumbling Malfoy heir would be enough to stabilize this!"

Fate snickered despite her situation and was rewarded by having a house - teleported in by a rather frustrated Celebi - dropped on her head.

* * *

Cella sighed into her drink and twirled her short, blond hair around her finger, blue-grey eyes lidded in a melancholy sadness. Next to her, her Oddish cooed soothingly and shuffled into her side.

"Thanks, Oddish, but… ugh. I just can't keep my nosey thoughts to myself, can I?" She muttered, rubbing him between the leaves where she knew he liked it best. He let out an odd rumble she knew was approval with undertones of disagreement. "Still. I shouldn't have pressured him so much."

"Pressured who?" an amused voice snapped her out of her musings.

"Evan?" She smiled. "Sorry, was just thinking. Sorry for.. Y'know." she waved it off. "Anyways - you're sticking around for a bit, right?"

"I suppose, yes," he replied easily, sliding into the seat across from her. "I have to train those teachers. But I expect you'll be moving on? You've got badges to earn, Pokémon to train… much more exciting than sitting in the Cerulean Pokémon Center." He chuckled.

"Nah, I'll stick around," Cella grinned at his confused expression. "What? You're fun, and it's not like I can't train here just as well as I could in Vermilion or Lavender." Oddish cooed in agreement. "And anyway, you still have to teach me more about the whole psychic thing. I've been practicing," she announced proudly. "I can levitate things now, don't even need the… what did you call it? Focus? Yeah, that. I still need that for the other stuff, but I've got levitation down pat."

Evan shot her a grin. "Do you really need my help? I'm by no means an expert, Cella. Most of what I can tell you is stuff I figured out on my own."

Cella rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. I didn't even _know_ I had powers until you told me. So please?"

"Not like I have anything better to do," he replied, leaning back. "But I do have an important question to ask."

Cella leaned forward.

"If I wanted to find people with a specific ability," He paused, obviously contemplating something. "Say, something similar to what I have - perhaps someone who can make foci - what would I do?"

Cella gained a pondering expression as she sipped on her drink. "Well," she said awkwardly, "it's not exactly easy. Most people who have something special about them, news gets around, you know? Like, you don't see adverts for the Sisters outside of Viridian, but people still know they exist. It's a traveler's world we live in - people talk, news gets around. Nine times out of ten, if you're looking for something, someone in the local community will be able to tell you what they've heard and show you the way. It's rare for people to have trouble finding something."

Shrugging, she curled her fingers around Oddish's leaves, stroking him idly. "The most secretive of people are the psychics. Nobody really knows much about them, other than that they have special powers and tend to do pretty crazy things. They're so isolated that it's hard to find out about them."

Evan sighed. "I see. Thanks anyway."

"Why did you want to know? Are you looking for someone?" Cella inquired, leaning forward. "I'll help if I can."

Evan gave her a small smile. "It's fine, Cella. I was just thinking that there might be more people… like me. I can't really explain it - but I know that if I see them, I'll know them." Sighing, he rose. "Let's go. I need to speed up the furnishing process so we can start recruiting for Hedwig's Roost."

* * *

The next few weeks flew by quickly. Working together, Evan, Misty and Cella were able to recruit a multitude of trainers all over Viridian. After initial training, they had the option to continue and become teachers of the different defense methods taught by Hedwig's Roost themselves.

The first few meetings, as with any group, were mostly intended to see what they'd have to change on the fly. It was quickly decided that only 'teachers' would be attending.

"Are you sure you're willing to…" Evan gestured to the building, which in just a few weeks had been fully transformed.

Misty went in for a whack on the head, missing by inches. "I'm _absolutely_ sure," She replied feistily. "How long has it been? Two weeks? _Five?_ If I can save the world in a day, Evan, I can make important decisions in five weeks. I'm certain, and no doubt you can possibly bring up is going to stop me."

"Good to know," Evan replied, chuckling. "Sorry, Misty. I'm not used to… having others share a load. Watching over HR for me - it means so much. Thank you."

Misty laughed. "The Gym was getting a bit boring anyway," she replied, waving it off. "Kanto doesn't get so many trainers hoping to take on the league nowadays. Most are too scared to try. It'll be refreshing."

"If you say so," Evan replied. "Well, if that's all…" he turned to the door, where Cella was checking Oddish one last time. She looked up and waved. "I'll be on my way," he finished. "See you, Misty. I'll make sure to keep in touch." he pulled idly on his Xtransceiver, which had seen plenty of use the past few days as he tried to figure out how it worked. Yes, he would be using it a lot, now that he could finally use technology without disrupting it.

After getting the numbers of each of his new friends' XTranceivers (and what a peculiar experience feeling like a giddy teen with a new phone was), Evan decided he'd call it a day. He'd achieved a lot in very little time, and for once, everything was going his way…

And then, just as he thought it, an explosion rocked the ground and a loud, cackling laughter filled the air. "Stop right there!" Cried a feminine voice. "We're Team Rocket - and we hear there's a great deal of money to be had! Hand it over and nobody gets hurt!"

Evan blamed his merlin-be-damned luck.

A/N:

Hi.

It's been a year. Sweet. I grew up a little - fun times. I really should have planned out this story better.

Quick recap, for those of you who aren't expressly tired of my explanation:  
A) I lost all my documents.

B) School, the killer of creation.

C) I did not plan any of these stories and I was a very, very bad author, at least tactics-wise.

Happy? Good.

So, update:  
-⅚ of Evan's team members are in the wings, backstories and personalities included. Hooray!

-Yes, there will be more unlucky Draco. (and more Draco team members.)

-Yes, there will be more Harry Potter characters. (Guess who.)

-No, I won't be updating at all regularly. I'm just throwing what I have out there since there's no reason not to and since I'm actually working on this (sporadically) and a few other older stories instead of the 100+ (Yes, I'm serious) HP stories I came up with over the school year which I never had the chance to pursue.

-Questions can and will be answered with each update on the story. I really, really appreciate the support and I'm hopeful about trying to attack this monster of a story from a different angle. Suggestions are most certainly welcome, and I highly advise sending them in (even if you don't think I'll see them, which I will) because the future of this story is back into very vague alpha and more plot points are always appreciated to keep the story fresh and exciting.

I think that just about covers it; now time for me to actually write a chapter where Things(™) Happen.


	8. Chapter 7 - A Brief Encounter

Evan did not hesitate longer than a moment.

Lily had already managed to release herself and was floating alongside his shoulder as he ignored physics rather pointedly and leaped out of the window, exerting his none-too-feeble will to slow him just enough to avoid hurting himself. He landed on his knees and scrambled up to meet the party of strange, uniformed Rocket members who were standing with an impressively ludicrous machine outside the front door.

The imposing metal Rattata was admittedly cool; its large teeth were windows inside to a pair of Rocket goons who made the image much less impressive by arguing over the controls. Outside of it, two Rockets - a man in a set of long black trousers and a black sweater with an R on the front looking a tad too warm considering his clothes, and a woman with a rather smug expression and a short skirt which seemed much more practical for the weather - stood in what he presumed they thought were intimidating poses.

Unfortunately, Evan had seen enough posturing for a lifetime, and it was not going to impress him now.

 _Okay, Lily,_ Evan decided, carefully focusing so he didn't project his thoughts to everyone, just Lily. _I don't think we'll be able to take on the entire group by our lonesome unless I distract them. I want you to hide, get in the Rattata - try whatever you can, you should have time what with those two arguing - and fire off a move to knock them out._

 _Sleep powder,_ Lily agreed, _Sleep Powder everywhere._ She hid behind Evan and flickered out of sight with a crackle of ghostly energy as Evan approached the Team Rocket Grunts.

"I'm afraid you'll have to go through me to get anything, and even then, I doubt you will," Evan apologized icily. Smiling a tight smile, he continued, "Please, do tell me why I am your target. I'm surprised you're after me of all people, when I don't even have anything valuable."

"Money is important!" The girl protested. "And you've got it, and no Pokémon! The conclusion is obvious," she concluded, nodding to herself and flicking her short, cherry-red hair. "But I don't blame you, rich citizen. You can't possibly be as smart as I, Lottie, am."

Evan stared at them incredulously. Lily's disguise flickered briefly as she worked her way through a window, slowly working a pane into breaking with repeated attacks.

"Nevermind," he decided. "Mottie, was it? So you're after my money?"

"I believe she already told you that," the man said, scratching his chin irritably. "But if I must - we're stealing your money. Hand it over or battle." he looked like he would nod off any moment, or at least so bored that he didn't care if he did.

"Battle? You mean with Pokemon?" Evan clarified.

"Well, _that_ was obvious," Lottie replied sarcastically. "You really are dull, aren't you?"

Lily broke through, and hovered cautiously into the Rattata, which was starting to look more like a tourist attraction for all the intimidating it was doing.

"I'm afraid so," he agreed, nodding mockingly and putting on the saddest expression he could manage. "What were your names again? Rottie and… erm…" he gestured to the bored man.

"ARGH! It's LOTTIE!" The woman yelled, stamping her foot on the ground. It was rather comical to see a fully grown woman throwing a temper tantrum, when she could easily just send out a Pokemon and have it toss him aside.

"Sinbad," the male yawned, glancing distractedly at a pair of Pidgey who were watching from the building roof with some interest. They seemed to be evaluating the wiseness of the decision to tackle the metal Rattata.

Lily hovered silently behind the two arguing parties inside the Rattata, and Evan could see them slumping from the Rattata-teeth windows over the controls, discarded ragdolls when faced with Lily's powders. Lily twirled a bit, then moved away to leave the metallic Pokemon.

"Ah, yes, Winfad and Blottie," Evan smiled thinly. As the two groaned again, he took a subtle step forward, and Lily escaped the Rattata, effectively a statue with its two drivers out of commission. He quickly shot off some telepathy to his partner as she left the hull. _Creep up behind these two and use… what was the move… Mean Look! Freeze them on the spot so I can get in a good hit._

 _Is it okay to attack humans?_ Lily asked worriedly. _I mean, they aren't as durable as Pokemon are, and they don't have Poke Centers, and…_

 _They sacrificed their ability to hide behind law and morality the moment they decided to break it themselves,_ Evan replied. _And anyways, you aren't damaging them with an attack. They won't feel a thing… except my boot colliding with their faces, but then again, that's my action, not yours._

 _Okay then,_ Lily agreed. _I'm on it, Evan._

"So," Evan paused. "Why did you bring the giant Rattata? I must admit, it's fairly cool, but it seems rather pointless when it doesn't fit in the building."

"It's awesome!" Lottie protested loudly. "It can fire hyper beams! And it can scratch things! It's super cool!"

"Yeah," Sinbad agreed slowly, yawning. "We needed some extra firepower."

"Speaking of which…" Lottie turned around...

...And met Lily's Mean Look.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Lottie screamed. While far more subdued, Sinbad also leaped into the air in shock and fear.

Evan took his chance. Dashing forwards, he delivered a swift punch to Sinbad's back, which he followed with a sharp kick before Lily dove in with Sleep Powder coating her body. He turned to Lottie and aimed another punch at her face. Thrown bodily backwards, she cried out in frustration and pain, and soon enough Lily managed to spin around to tackle Lottie with the spores of her Sleep Powder, collapsing her on the pavement.

The whirr of sirens rose up as Lily returned to Evan's side, and he met the arriving police at the side of the road. One of the local Jenny was in the lead on her motorbike, and she screeched to a stop at the Rattata, parking in one smooth, practiced movement.

"What happened here?!" She demanded, dashing over. Her Growlithe released itself and ran by her side, giving the Rattata a challenging look. "Who are these people, is anyone hurt?"

"No-one important," Evan replied calmly. "No serious harm was done, and the perpetrators are currently taking an extended nap." He gently rubbed Lily's chin, earning a rattling purr from his Pumpkaboo.

Officer Jenny looked like she wanted to protest, but she thought better of it and instead shook her head in exasperation. "I swear, with so many trainers around, I wonder why there's even a police force," she mused. "Seems like every time I get to the scene someone's already solved the problem for me."

"It sounds like one of the better problems to have," Evan offered. "Better too late to help than too late for justice to be served."

The Growlithe was sniffing Lottie's hair, and sneezed.

Jenny shuddered. "You can't be more right," she agreed vehemently. "Sorry, I should be doing my job…"

Just then, an Abra appeared. It gave the two grunts a look which said it would rather be sleeping, raised its arms, and teleported away, villains in tow.

Jenny looked horribly disappointed for a moment.

"There's two more in the Rattata," Evan offered.

Jenny ran so fast she could have outrun a Ninjask.

* * *

A/N; don't think I'll be able to send out more than one more Chapter before school starts. I know this is kinda short, but I'm hoping to dump most of the travel between here and the next town into the next chapter, so that should more than make the difference.

Hope you enjoy. Thanks again for all the support. Now, for some updates.

I'm still looking into a final member for the team Evan has. I might leave it empty for now, since I know I'm not going to give him more than six. I'd rather stick to a group which I can develop without lots of switching out - and the space gives me some wiggle room if I end up derailing from the plotline. On that note, I lost all my notes for Cella, so there are 5 Pokemon I now have to decide. Suggestions, as always, are welcome.

Til next chapter.


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